Swivel, A New Video-Dating Site, Is Finally Spicing Up Our Quarantine Life

I can't be the only single girl in New York who has by now figured out what most people tend to really use dating apps for. It's very much, "Hi, nice smile, wanna come over in an hour?" So since all that is clearly off the table, it's no surprise that my usual swipe-for-love sources have been woefully quiet since entering quarantine. Why bother chatting if you can't even meet face-to-face?

Well, now you can. Thanks to Swivel, a new dating site that's popped up as the answer to these changing times, you don't have to press pause on romance, even while you social distance. Rather than some boring back and forth messaging, which, let's admit, nine times out of ten is a total waste of time, Swivel lets you dive right in with a video chat, so you're basically going on a real-life date as soon as you match. And since no one's getting up to any funny business for the time being, you know you're meeting people who are actually interested in getting to know you - along with the added bonus of not finding out that their profile picture is from 12 years ago. Why haven't we been video-dating this whole time?!

Wondering how it works? Well, like other sites, you make a profile and input your partner preferences, like age and gender. And if you're more of a phone than desktop person, no worries, just download their app! Then, rather than swiping, Swivel's algorithm pulls up people in your area that match your criteria. If you both like each other, you'll have the option to jump on a video - no heels (or non-pajama pants) required. Isolation dating doesn't sound half bad.

And before you get flashbacks to Chatroulette, worry not. Swivel guarantees a safe and fun experience. All users are verified through the site and there's a no-tolerance approach to bad actors. If you meet someone and hate them, they're blocked from your feed forever. And if a user is blocked three times, they're off the site for good. 

In need of another reason to light some candles and open a bottle of wine on the couch? This is it.