In response to the coronavirus crisis, dating website eharmony has launched a Video Date feature to help singles get to know each other properly during social distancing.

It should prove a welcome move for many singles, who believe the coronavirus pandemic is set to be the biggest shake-up of online dating since its inception.

Two thirds of daters (66 per cent) agree that the current landscape will see a virtual dating boom, and 31 per cent of Aussies predict video dating will become the ‘new normal’ going forward.

Video Date will allow users to safely recreate a romantic experience without having to use third-party platforms or give personal details like their phone number. It is designed to cater seamlessly for the one in four Aussies (23 per cent) who are planning a virtual date in the coming weeks.

To ensure singles feel reasonably well acquainted before they arrange a video date, at least three messages must have been exchanged on the eharmony platform before a request can be sent.

Video Date will help create an intimate environment where singles can get to know each other without the usual distractions of a busy bar or restaurant. They can read each other’s facial expressions, take cues from body language and get a much fuller sense of their mutual compatibility than they might via a phone call.

Video Date is part of a wider sociological shift towards traditional dating during the pandemic. It arguably allows for relationships to develop at a more cerebral and measured pace.

What’s more, communication between members in Australia on the eharmony platform increased by almost a half (44 per cent) in recent weeks, demonstrating an appetite to build virtual relationships.

The function is available in all versions of the service from app to web to mobile web.

Are you single? How have you been coping without regular social interactions during lockdown?