Feeld
{{Short description|Location-based online dating app}}
{{For|the book|Jos Charles}}
{{Infobox software
| title = Feeld
| name = Feeld
| logo = File:Feeld Logo.png
| screenshot =
| caption = Feeld logo
| other_names = 3nder
| developer = Feeld Ltd.
| released = July 2014
| operating system = iOS, Android
| language = English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish
| genre = Social discovery
| website = {{URL|www.feeld.co}}
| license = Proprietary software with [https://feeld.co/about/terms Terms of Use]
| logo alt = Logo for Feeld
| screenshot_size =
}}
Feeld (previously called 3nder) is a location-based online dating application for iOS and Android aimed at people interested in ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, casual sex, kink, swinging, and other alternative relationship models and sexual preferences.{{cite web | url = https://www.businessinsider.com/3nder-ceo-dimo-trifonov-accuses-transferwise-double-standards-over-ban-polyamory-2016-3| date = 1 April 2016 | access-date = 25 May 2016 | first = Rob | last = Price | publisher = Business Insider | title = The CEO of a polyamorous dating app is accusing TransferWise of 'double standards' for refusing him service}}{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/3nder-tinder-and-grindr-offshoot-app-promises-threesomes-made-easy-9149419.html | date = 24 February 2014 | access-date = 25 May 2016 | first = Christopher | last = Hooton | work = The Independent | location = London | title = 3nder: Tinder and Grindr offshoot app promises 'threesomes made easy'}}{{cite news | url = https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/23/tinder-plus-plus/ | date = 23 May 2016 | access-date = 25 May 2016 | author = Haje Jan Kamps | publisher = TechCrunch | title = 3nder adds a +1 for your Tinder adventures}} According to The New York Times, over a third of users are on the app with a partner, and 45% identify as something other than heterosexual.{{Cite news|last=Mlotek|first=Haley|date=2019-03-20|title=A Dating App for Three, Plus (Published 2019)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/style/dating-app-non-monogamy.html|access-date=2021-03-17|issn=0362-4331}}
3nder launched worldwide in July 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/tinder-for-threesomes-does-new-hookup-app-3inder-spell-the-end-for-monogamy-a3119396.html|title='Tinder for threesomes': does new hook-up app 3nder spell the end for monogamy?|last=Luckhurst|first=Phoebe|date=20 November 2015|publisher=London Evening Standard|location=London|access-date=25 May 2016}}{{cite news | url = https://nypost.com/2015/10/23/tinder-for-threesomes-gets-500000-investment/ | date = 23 October 2015 | access-date = 25 May 2016 | first = James | last = Covert | publisher = New York Post | location = New York | title = 'Tinder for threesomes' gets $500K investment}} As of August 1, 2016, it had had over 1.6 million downloads on iOS{{Cite web|url=https://pressat.co.uk/releases/3nder-the-dating-app-known-for-threesomes-rebrands-to-feeld-lands-on-android-tinder-lawsuit-ongoing-a9d3a34d6c86be0570d5c6416264b3e5/|title=3nder, the dating app known for threesomes, rebrands to Feeld; lands on Android. Tinder lawsuit ongoing|website=pressat.co.uk|accessdate=December 24, 2024}} and its users made 10 million connections a month.{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://feeld.co/about|access-date=2021-05-13|publisher=Feeld|language=en}} Major updates to the interface were released in December 2017,{{cite web|url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/feeld-dating/id887914690|title=Feeld Dating on the App Store|date=18 July 2023 |publisher=App Store}} August 2022,{{Cite web |title=Introducing Feeld 6.0 |url=http://feeld.co/blog/announcements/introducing-feeld-6-0 |access-date=2022-12-02 |publisher=Feeld |language=en}} and December 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/12/feeld-app-down-not-working-update-reddit.html|title=From Left Feeld|last=Docter-Loeb|first=Hannah|date=2016-08-02|website=New York Post|access-date=2023-12-06}}
Feeld is developed by Feeld Ltd., an independent remote startup company founded in 2014 by Bulgarian-born designer Dimo Trifonov.{{Cite web|url=https://www.behance.net/di-t|title=Behance|publisher=www.behance.net|access-date=2016-08-03}}
History
Trifonov conceived the app after his girlfriend Ana Kirova told him she had feelings for other people.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3061730/after-being-sued-by-tinder-can-this-threesomes-app-survive-a-rebrand|title=After Being Sued By Tinder, Can This Threesomes App Survive A Rebrand?|work=Fast Company |date=2016-08-02|language=en-US|access-date=2016-08-03}} Once the concept was developed, Trifonov bought a $15 online template to create a holding page and saw immediate demand.
Feeld (initially known as 3nder) received its first seed round from the UK-based group Haatch.{{Cite web|url=https://www.haatch.com/portfolio/|title=Haatch - Active Portfolio|language=en-US|access-date=2016-08-03}} The app launched as 3nder in July 2014. In October 2015, 3nder Ltd. received $500,000 in seed funding from a pair of unnamed angel investors.{{cite news | url = http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/extra-lover-app-article-1.2409519 | date = 24 October 2015 | access-date = 26 May 2016 | first = Laurie | last = Hanna | work = New York Daily News | location = New York | title = Looking for an extra lover? There's an app for that: Threesome app 3nder raises $500,000 investment}}{{cite news | url = https://nypost.com/2015/12/17/confessions-of-an-orgy-addict/ | date = 17 December 2015 | access-date = 26 May 2016 | first = Jane | last = Ridley | publisher = New York Post | location = New York | title = Confessions of an orgy addict}}
In May 2016, Tinder's parent company Match Group (a part of IAC) sued 3nder Ltd., alleging trademark infringement over its name. Match Group "wants its smaller competitor to shut down and erase its presence from the web entirely to avoid 'confusion' between the two apps, claiming the alleged similarity gives 3nder an 'unfair advantage'",{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/23/tinder-sues-threesome-app-rival-3nder | date = 23 May 2015 | access-date = 25 May 2016 | first = Rob | last = Davies | work = The Guardian | location = London | title = Tinder sues threesome app rival 3nder}}{{cite news | url = https://www.vice.com/en/article/tinder-wants-you-to-stop-booking-your-threesomes-on-3nder-vgtrn/ | date = 23 May 2015 | access-date = 25 May 2016 | first = Helen | last = Donahue |work = Vice | title = Tinder Wants You to Stop Planning Your Threesomes on 3nder}}{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/tinder-suing-3nder-lawsuit-name-dating-app-threesome-a7043236.html | date = 24 May 2015 | access-date = 25 May 2016 | first = Doug | last = Bolton | work = The Independent | location = London | title = Tinder sues threesome-finding app 3nder over name similarities}} based on the "supposed pronunciation of 3nder". In August 2016, the app was renamed Feeld.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/02/3nder-becomes-feeld/|title=Threesome app 3nder renames to Feeld after Tinder lawsuit|first=Haje Jan|last=Kamps|date=2 August 2016 |publisher=|access-date=22 May 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/threesome-app-3nder-rebranded-to-feeld-amid-tinder-lawsuit-a7168286.html|title=The world's most famous threesome app just made a huge change|publisher=Independent.co.uk |date=2 August 2016|access-date=22 May 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2016/08/01/threesome-app-changing-its-name-thanks-to-tinder/|title=Threesome app changing its name thanks to Tinder|last=Covert|first=James|date=2016-08-02|website=New York Post|access-date=2016-08-03}}
Dimo Trifonov was CEO until March 2021, when Ana Kirova took over.{{Cite web|title=Ana Kirova announced as Feeld's new CEO|url=https://feeld.co/blog/announcements/meet-ana-ceo-feeld|access-date=2021-05-13|publisher=Feeld|language=en}}
=Availability and security issues=
{{Undue weight section|date=December 2024}}
In late 2023, the Feeld app experienced a major outage of several days connected to an app update. After the update, many users experienced severe difficulty using the app. Feeld also started to show the real-time location name of its users publicly, a move criticized for its privacy and safety implications. Feeld acknowledged that, after the update, users experienced "several issues that we know are affecting your experience", including problems logging in, accessing connections, and chats and profiles appearing to have been deleted.{{Cite web|title=Note from Ana: Your questions about the new Feeld app|url=https://feeld.co/magazine/playbook/questions-about-the-new-feeld-app|publisher=Feeld|language=en|access-date=2023-12-06}}
Regarding the safety concerns connected to real-life location sharing, CEO Ana Kirova initially suggested in a blog post that concerned users could hide their profiles from other users completely through the app's privacy settings. After a backlash, location sharing was turned off completely.{{Cite web|title=Protecting our Members and their Privacy|url=https://feeld.co/magazine/playbook/protecting-our-members-and-their-privacy|publisher=Feeld|language=en|access-date=2023-12-06}}
In March 2024, the British cybersecurity company Fortbridge identified several critical security vulnerabilities in the app. These flaws allowed unauthorized third parties to access private messages and photos, edit user profiles, and search preferences and messages. The vulnerabilities' duration remains unclear. Feeld claimed that the issues were resolved within three months of being identified. Feeld did not directly inform regulators or notify users of the potential breach of their private data, citing an absence of evidence that any data had been accessed.{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/17/dating-app-feeld-personal-data-cybersecurity | date = 17 September 2024 | access-date = 11 October 2024 | first = Rob | last = Davies | work = The Guardian | location = London | title = Users of 'throuples' dating app Feeld may have had intimate photos accessed}} In its report on the investigation, Fortbridge said that six months had passed between their initial disclosure of the vulnerabilities and Feeld's confirmation that the issues had been patched.{{cite web | url = https://fortbridge.co.uk/research/feeld-dating-app-nudes-data-publicly-available/ | date = 10 September 2024 | access-date = 11 October 2024 | first = Bogdan | last = Tiron | title = Feeld dating app – Your nudes and data were publicly available}}
Operation
The basic app is free to use to match with and message with other members, with optional in-app purchases available for additional features.
Members sign into the app using their email address, Sign in with Apple, or Facebook. They build their profile, choosing between 20 sexuality and 19 gender options,{{Cite web |title=Glossary |url=https://feeld.co/about/glossary |access-date=2021-03-17 |publisher=Feeld |language=en}} and can pair their account with a partner's. Users can choose whom they want to see (singles, couples, genders) and refine their search based on geographical search area, age, relationship type, and sexual preferences.{{cite web|url=http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2014/07/22/the-magic-number-organise-a-threesome-with-3nder/|title=The magic number: organise a threesome with 3nder|last=Hill|first=Andy|date=22 July 2014|publisher=Time Out|location=London|access-date=25 May 2016}} The app then presents other users' profiles to look at.
Liking or Disliking indicate interest or disinterest in another's profile, and, uniquely for dating apps, users can decide to skip a profile to make a choice later. When two users like each other, they become "Connections" and can message each other.
As well as showing other members around them, the app offers the ability to visit and meet members far away through "Locations". It also offers Virtual Locations as a way to connect over like-minded interests, regardless of geographical location.{{cite magazine |last1=Witt |first1=Emily |title=A Hookup App for the Emotionally Mature |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/feeld-dating-app-sex |access-date=6 September 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker |date=11 July 2022}}
= In-app purchases =
A subscription-based paid tier called Majestic offers additional features called Who Likes You, Filter by Desires, Incognito, Go Back, and Private Photos; it also gives members one complimentary Ping per day.{{Cite web|title=Feeld: for couples and singles. on the App Store|url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id887914690|access-date=2021-03-17|publisher=App Store}} Incognito allows members to hide from others members they haven't yet Liked, providing additional privacy; members who have logged in with Facebook can also opt to hide their profile from their Facebook friends.{{Cite web|date=|title=What is Incognito and how it works?|url=https://support.feeld.co/en/articles/3248341-what-is-incognito-and-how-it-works|access-date=2021-03-17|publisher=Fsupport.feeld.co}}
Members may send "Pings" to immediately notify another member of their interest without having to wait for the other person to see them and like them back. Pings can be acquired as in-app purchases.{{Cite web |title=What are Pings? |url=https://support.feeld.co/en/articles/3973930-what-are-pings |access-date=2021-03-17 |publisher=support.feeld.co |language=en}}
There is also a paid feature called "Uplift",{{Cite web |title=Find out more about using Pings and our new feature, Uplift. |url=https://feeld.co/blog/feeld-guides/whats-the-difference-between-pings-and-uplift |access-date=2022-12-02 |publisher=Feeld |language=en}} which allows members to be shown ahead of other profiles in their area for some time, decreasing the time it will take to connect with others.
See also
{{Portal|Internet|Human sexuality|Society}}
{{Clear}}
References
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