As modern society rapidly prepares for what will become one of the loneliest times we will likely ever know, it doesn't mean singles have to be stuck in limbo until things return to normal. Dating service Plenty of Fish is launching a new video streaming feature that will make it easier for potential dates to meet virtually without abandoning the practice of social distancing for an IRL meeting.

Plenty of Fish partnered up with livestreaming solution provider The Meet Group to implement its new feature called LIVE! Users can broadcast a video stream to an audience or break off to have one-on-one chats with other users on the platform. A special mode called NextDate has also been developed that imitates speed dating with a series of 90-second chats with others.

LIVE! looks functionally similar to streaming features found in other social networks, like Facebook Live. It even highlights  popular streamers that are trending on the platform. The broadcasting mode sounds like it might be meant for people seeking attention rather than helping them find a match, but the NextDate and one-on-one features are good tools to help people communicate. A quick video chat is certainly safer and efficient than going out to meet a stranger for the first time.

It's pretty obvious from the video above that Plenty of Fish was already working on LIVE! before any concerns of a pandemic became reality. But there's obviously no better time than the present to launch a feature many people could really use right now.

Plenty of Fish LIVE! will be free to use by all users, including non-paying members, and it's rolling out today in areas that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 outbreaks, including New York, Washington, and California. POF plans to expand into about 80% of the US by next week, and eventually open up to global use by the end of April.

Source: Plenty of Fish