Match launches new live in-app event called ’72 Hours’

Match is introducing an unconventional way of online dating to its users in order to promote more intentional connections. The dating app announced Tuesday a new time-sensitive feature called “72 Hours,” an in-app weekly experience where users have three days to message potential matches before the chats disappear.

During the designated time frame, members can select nearby profiles on a map and start conversations in hopes of making weekend plans with the other person before time runs out. The map only shows 15 people, however, if users run out of options, they can adjust the age and location filters to find different profiles from further away.

Match will also give users a countdown when there are 24 hours left.

To participate in the live event, Match members have from Monday through Thursday to sign up. The experience starts every Thursday at 4 p.m. local time and ends on Sunday at 12 a.m.

At launch, 72 Hours will be available for users in the New York area. It will roll out nationwide over the coming months.

72 Hours is designed to prevent people from having conversations that never leave the app and fizzle out. If the clock strikes 12 and users haven’t arranged an in-person meetup or exchanged phone numbers, well, they’re out of luck.

“The ‘traditional’ like, match, chat journey on a dating app takes a long time, and oftentimes leads to conversations that don’t go anywhere,” Dushyant Saraph, general manager and chief product officer at Match, told TechCrunch. “However, on the opposite end, meeting someone IRL happens in a time-condensed way; you aren’t waiting weeks for a reply to see if someone’s up for going on a date… this new Match feature specifically solves for intent while at the same time asking people, who is really serious about meeting up and actually connecting?”

Match-owned Tinder has launched similar timed features in the past, including “Swipe Night,” where users have six hours to participate in an interactive adventure game that, in turn, encourages users to start conversations with potential matches within a limited timeframe. Tinder’s “Vibes” event lasts 48 hours and has users answer a series of questions that are displayed on their profile for 72 hours.

Tinder also has a feature dubbed “Swipe Surge,” which notifies users when activity on the app is high. Swipe Surge can either last for minutes or hours.