- Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
- 'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears
- Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
- Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
- Tens of thousands protest in Serbian capital over fatal train station accident
- Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
- Daniels throws five TDs as Commanders down Eagles, Lions and Vikings win
- 'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying
- Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam
- Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff
- Explosive batsman Jacobs gets New Zealand call-up for Sri Lanka series
- Holders PSG edge through on penalties in French Cup
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin to talk gas deliveries
- Daniels throw five TDs as Commanders down Eagles
- Atalanta fight back to take top spot in Serie A, Roma hit five
- Mancini admits regrets over leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia
- Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin
- Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 35
- 'Incredible' Liverpool must stay focused: Slot
- Maresca 'absolutely happy' as title-chasing Chelsea drop points in Everton draw
- Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout
- Three and easy as Dortmund move into Bundesliga top six
- Liverpool hit Spurs for six, Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth
- Netanyahu vows to act with 'force, determination' against Yemen's Huthis
- Mbappe back from 'bottom' as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- Ali hat-trick helps champions Ahly crush Belouizdad
- France kept on tenterhooks over new government
- Salah stars as rampant Liverpool hit Spurs for six
- Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'
- 'Sonic 3' zips to top of N.America box office
- Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds
- Mbappe strikes as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- 'Nervous' Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
- Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza
- Lonely this Christmas: Vendee skippers in low-key celebrations on high seas
- Troubled Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
- 2 US pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident: military
- Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth, Chelsea held at Everton
- France awaits fourth government of the year
- Germany pledges security inquest into Christmas market attack
- Death toll in Brazil bus crash rises to 41
- Joshua bout only fight left for beaten Fury says promoter Hearn
- Odermatt stays hot to break Swiss World Cup wins record
- Neville says Rashford's career at Man Utd nearing 'inevitable ending'
- Syria's new leader vows not to negatively interfere in Lebanon
- Germany pledges security inquest after Christmas market attack
- Putin vows 'destruction' on Ukraine after Kazan drone attack
- Understated Usyk seeks recognition among boxing legends
- France awaits appointment of new government
Dating apps move to friend zone in search of profits
Burnt-out love-seekers are shunning dating apps in their millions, but the apps are trying to woo them back with a counter offer: If you don't want a lover, perhaps you just need a friend?
The giants of the industry -- Bumble and Match, which owns Tinder -- have both created apps catering to friendly meetups, joining countless smaller platforms that have already entered the friend zone.
Bumble For Friends launched in July last year and by the third quarter of this year had around 730,000 monthly active users, according to figures from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
Bumble has also acquired the Geneva app, which caters to people wanting to form groups around particular interests.
"It's just the beginning of our vision to expand the company's footprint and helping people find connections broadly," Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones said during the Web Summit in Lisbon on Wednesday.
Match, meanwhile, launched the Yuzu app in February targeting the Asian community in the United States, offering a choice between friendly or romantic encounters.
The group has also been testing a service dedicated to friendship in France on its dating app for older people, DisonsDemain.
Both firms have suffered dramatic slumps since the boom times of the pandemic, when millions turned to the apps during periods when governments restricted people's movements.
- 'App fatigue' -
Sensor Tower said while Bumble For Friends was soaring, its dating app had shed eight percent of its monthly active users between the start of October last year and this year -- the figure now standing at 21 million.
Tinder, by far the biggest dating app with around 53 million monthly active users, saw a 16 percent slump in the same period.
Seema Shah of Sensor Tower said users were feeling "app fatigue".
"It's affecting all apps but in particular these dating apps. People are just kind of tired of it," she said.
Tinder was hit particularly hard as it targeted younger users between 18 and 22.
"This is the same age group that likes to do a lot of things in person," she said.
These declines are hitting the firms where it really hurts -- the wallet.
Match Group has shed more than $40 billion from its value in three years.
Bumble achieved a valuation of more than $20 billion when it went public in 2021, but it is now worth only about $1.3 billion.
The firm announced the layoff of a third of its workforce in February.
And success in the friend zone is far from assured, with plenty of apps already battling to attract future BFFs.
- Novelty factor -
The apps often cater to particular situations -- WeRoad and TripBFF connect solo travellers, Wink and Plura help people find friends based on their interests.
French app Timeleft, launched last year, brings together six strangers every week for dinner at a restaurant.
The app has already organised dinners in 280 cities across 62 countries and is getting closer to profitability, cofounder Maxime Barbier told AFP.
He said diners were assembled using an algorithm enriched by the results of personality tests taken by the users.
For Arthur Czubinski, a 32-year-old translator, it is a winning formula.
He told AFP he had been to 12 dinners organised by the app in just a few months.
"Some of the tables have been incredible," he said.
But Seema Shah suggested the first flushes of success for friendship apps were at least partly down to novelty.
She expressed doubt people would pay in the long term.
"It's probably easier to find friends in your area if you join some activity or through your job," she said.
X.Karnes--AMWN