Bear app Growlr is launching a live video feature and we can’t wait to see how this turns out
The bear app Growlr is fast-tracking a live video feature to help lonely bears self-isolating amid coronavirus lockdowns.
LGBT+ people across the world are suddenly finding dating apps slightly irrelevant, as hook-ups and meet-ups go out the window due to the pandemic.
Growlr is trying to change that by introducing a live-streaming platform.
CEO Geoff Cook told Out Magazine that they had originally planned to launch the service in four months’ time.
But to help out lonely bears self-isolating amid the coronavirus pandemic, it will now be available in the next two weeks.
The app’s owners want to keep the broadcasts ‘clean’, and we’re sure that’s going to work out very well.
Cook explained that with the new feature, Growlr users will be able to broadcast and have a guest box featuring someone else while others watch.
“We’ve launched a ‘Next Date’ dating game that we will be bringing to Growlr shortly that is played inside of this experience,” he added.
In that feature, people “queue up” to take part in mini-dates with the person streaming.
Growlr will also include another feature called “Blind Date” where the video stream is blurred out at the start of the virtual date and becomes gradually unblurred, allowing users to connect without knowing what the other looks like.
Surprisingly, Cook said he is aiming for the broadcasts to be “clean” and said they will have moderation policies in place – so the live broadcast function might not be quite what you were expecting.
Growlr live video broadcasts are being fast-tracked to help lonely bears in coronavirus lockdown.
Growlr’s video streaming feature was first announced when the app was bought last year by The Meet Group.
The company is fast-tracking the addition after witnessing a huge increase in the use of live video features on their other apps such as MeetMe, LOVOO, Skout and Tagged.
Growlr will also be launching one-on-one video chats in the coming weeks, a feature that was previously only available to premium customers.
