Video may open doors for those in dating world

Like a lot of women, Heather Prosak has had more bad dates than she would like to remember.

There was the guy who talked too much about his ex-wife. The dinner where a downpour prevented her from making an escape. And don’t get her started on the many dudes who showed up looking nothing like their photos.

“I’ve done it all,” said Prosak, 38, a radio host in Calgary who has matched with men on Tinder, Bumble, eharmony and Match.

She has gone on some second and third dates through the years, but nothing has lasted.

“It’s frustrating when things don’t line up with who the person said they are, or they don’t look like their photo,” she said. “If a date goes south because we’re different people, then fine. But you never know what you’re getting with some of these apps.”

Traditional dating apps cover only visuals.

During the past few months, in search of better results, Prosak has been trying something different. She downloaded Loko, a video dating app where people upload 15-second clips of themselves explaining who they are and why they would make a good partner. After a match, users have 24 hours to set up a 15-minute video chat. If all goes well, they will exchange numbers.

Since Loko launched in September 2018, Prosak has done 15-minute chats with eight people and has gone on three in-person dates. One of the three might have worked out save for one problem: He lives 673 miles away in Seattle.

Still, she is now a videodating convert, in part because the format lets her have a first date from home.

“I’m a busy person. I’m tired of going out on these dates and finding they may not lead anywhere,” she said. “This app gives me the face-to-face time without me having to drive anywhere.”

Video dating isn’t a new concept. In the 1980s and ’90s, there were companies that helped singles send VHS tapes to one another, but it still hasn’t caught on, even with millions of people now using Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat video.

During the past couple of years, some of the more established dating companies have started toying with video. In June 2017, Hinge started letting users upload a maximum 30-second video from their camera roll to their profile. This past April, Tinder released Tinder Loops, a feature that allows a user to upload a twosecond video to their profile. According to the company, people whose profiles contain video loops have longer conversations with their matches.

Loko was started by tech entrepreneur Vivek Jain and comedian Norm Macdonald. Since launching, it has racked up 20,000 downloads, mostly in New York and Los Angeles; in January, it expanded to Germany. Jain says video dating offers more insight into a potential mate’s personality. It is safer than meeting someone faceto-face for the first time, and it eliminates what can be days (or weeks!) of pre-date texting.

Loko’s 15-minute video chat is supposed to replace a first date, Jain said. If you do agree to meet in person, you will have already gotten to know each other, which, he thinks, is a better recipe for success.

“Time is valuable, so you don’t want to spend three hours with someone and have zero connection,” he said. “We want people to have more meaningful faceto-face dates.”

As popular as video may be, many people still are hesitant to incorporate video into their dating lives. Clarissa Silva, a relationship coach and behavioral scientist, conducted a survey that found that 65% of women were not comfortable with live video appearances, while 30% of men felt it was an intrusion in their lives.

At first, Prosak felt weird about using video, too. But after posting one and watching a few, she came to embrace it.