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- Momo, owner of “Chinese Tinder,” launching new dating app called Qiao Qiao.
- Qiao Qiao hopes to address the disproportionate emphasis dating apps place on appearance.
- Qiao Qiao users need to converse before seeing other user’s picture.
There’s no question that physical attraction is important in couples, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of what makes for a successful, long-term relationship. Still, the average user on Tinder spends roughly two seconds on a profile before swiping, meaning that everyone on Tinder is either a speed reader, or users are focusing predominantly on one thing and one thing alone: the picture.
Momo, the Chinese company that owns Tantan (aka “China’s Tinder”), just announced that it’s launching a new app called Qiao Qiao that’ll force users to get to know the person behind the phone before seeing any pictures, Radii reports.
Qiāoqiāo, which roughly translates to “quietly,” initially starts matches off with a blurred profile pic. The image will slowly un-blur the more two users speak to one another. In order to even begin matching, a user must fill out at least 60% of his or her profile, which asks a range of interest and personality questions.
Additionally, it’ll only suggest five potential matches each day. Users can initiate another 10 conversations daily with other users they find through the “Discovery” page.
While Qiao Qiao seemingly wishes to address the problem of superficiality pervasive in online dating culture, one can’t help but wonder if this app is going to attract—and how do I say this as nicely as possible—users who haven’t had luck on other apps due to their appearance.
But maybe it’s time to finally heed the advice your mother gave you years ago: Focus on what’s on the inside, not what’s on the outside.
Like Tantan, Qiao Qiao will likely be available on the app store in the United States.
