What is Viber dating?: the innovative and moderated online dating!
Online dating comes with its own problems and limitations. To overcome this, Rakuten Viber has found an innovative solution. It has started its first in-app feature of Viber dating in the Philippines.
Problems of online dating
Online dating started in the mid-2000s and its use soared in the last few years during covid pandemic and lockdown.
However, the dating apps are losing users due to the various scams associated with the apps. Also, people are unable to find their right match even after a lot of time on the apps. It can lead to fatigue and burnout. Moreover, there is a lot of mental anguish that comes with use of these apps.
A Pew Research Center survey revealed that 52% of adults in the USA who used dating apps encountered someone on these apps whom they felt was a fraud and trying to scam them. People are concerned about fake profiles, bots, and online scams.
Many Filipinos feel similarly. A 2024 report of TransUnion showed that the fraud rates in this digital dating was as high as 18% in Philippines, which is more than the average of 11.5% in the world.
Rakuten Viber debuts Viber dating in Philippines
Until now, Rakuten Viber was a communication app that was trusted worldwide with many users. It promotes meaningful communication and is extremely safe for its users.
Realizing the pitfalls of online dating, Rakuten Viber has come out with Viber dating. It is now available officially in the south eastern nation of Philippines.
This new in-app feature allows people to use the platform for a safe and effective dating. Earlier, Viber was a second stage in the dating process wherein people used to communicate on Viber after they had found their matches on dating apps. But now, with this special and new feature of Viber, users can find a match or friends on it.
The new feature is secure and protects the users privacy. The feature can be used by people who have verified profiles on Viber. Additionally, the phone number of the user is never displayed or shared until the user does it himself or herself.
The whole process is moderated by humans as well as machines for extra safety. The dating profile is a distinct one and not mixed with the Viber profile you created. The messages are end-to-end encrypted and not stored on any server of Viber.
Procedure of this innovative dating
Firstly, users can make their online profile for dating. This registration is free of charge. There should be a short bio about self including their interests and hobbies. They can add photos too.
Also, read Dating apps can have negative effect on body image, well-being, and mental health!
Once done, Viber gets them the potential matches to choose from. They can swipe sideways to determine whether they are interested in some match or not.
If a person chooses a person and that user also likes the first person, they can then chat on the dating platform. But the two will not yet be able to know the phone numbers of each other unless they share it themselves.
The contacts in the regular Viber platform will not know anything about the going-on on the dating platform. Currently, premium features include knowing who liked me. There will be more features added and this dating features would extend to other nations as well.
David Tse, who is the Senior Director at Rakuten Viber APAC, described how this in-built app feature was developed. It was to help people get good and real matches. When they start, they do not want their identity to be revealed. They may do so in due course after they feel comfortable. According to David:
“Viber’s mission as a super app is to create safe and trusted connections, and this extends to the dating world, providing users with much-needed peace of mind,”
“Given these measures, we hope we can further protect our users from fake profiles and love scams,”
The company wants to restore the fun and joy of dating that got lost with the existing dating apps.
