Huggle
TitleHuggle
DeveloperHuggle App Limited
ReleasedMarch 2015
Operating systemApple iOS (iOS 8.0 or later), Android
GenreSocial Networking
Websitehuggle.com

Huggle was a location-based social application which connected users based on commonality of places they frequent.[1][2][3] The app was developed through a partnership with entrepreneur Andrey Andreev.[4]

Following a soft launch in 2015, it was officially launched in July 2016.[5] It was acquired by Badoo (now a brand of Bumble Inc.) in 2018.[6] In 2020, the platform was shut down.[7]

History

Founders Stina Sanders and Valerie Stark met after Stark moved from Moscow to London and was using Instagram geolocation data to try and meet people who hung out at the same places she did. They decided to create an app inspired by how they met.[8][9][10] Sanders and Stark took the idea to Andrey Andreev, the tech entrepreneur that backed Bumble and founded Badoo.[4][5]

The app took six months to build and had a soft launch in 2015. Huggle officially launched in July 2016 and was available globally the following October.[5] Upon its release, it was available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.[11]

An updated version was released June 2017. By September 2017, over 45 million locations had been logged on the app.[8]

In February 2018, Huggle turned off its dating mode for 24 hours to combat the pressure to find a date for Valentine's Day.[12][13]

In March 2018, it was announced that Badoo had acquired Huggle as a subsidiary.[6] After the acquisition, Stark announced she would be stepping down as CEO, while Sanders stayed on with Badoo to lead the Huggle team.[14]

In January 2020, Bumble decided they would no longer actively maintain or market several of their subsidiary platforms, including Huggle.[7]

Operation

Huggle connects users through locations, using GPS to automatically check-in. Only when someone else has checked into the same place can a user see their profile. For security purposes, users can only view the places they have in common.[15]

The app was originally designed to make friends by connecting with people with mutual interests. However, a dating element was added in response to users looking for romantic matches.[5][8][16]

To verify a profile, users must take multiple selfies approved by a team of moderators. The actual profile is generated with information from other social media sites, including Facebook, Foursquare, and Instagram.[8][17][18] The user chooses whether they are looking for a date or a friend as well as ideal age range and how many places their matches must have in contact before they can contact the user.[5][8]

When two users check in to the same place, they can view each other's profiles.[8] The app automatically checks a user in at any locations they visit and adds the location to their list of places. Users can then match with other people who visit that location.[2][9] Huggle includes a "visitors" feature that allows users to see people who view their profile.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Davies, Hannah J. (2017-10-09). "Does Tinder's Menprovement initiative do enough to protect women?". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
  2. ^ "Huggle". Wonderland Magazine. July 6, 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  3. ^ Marks, Kelly (September 8, 2016). "Huggle, the new social networking app that's got our attention". Glamour. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  4. ^ Cook, James (July 2, 2016). "A new survey says dating apps like Tinder are making people self-conscious". Business Insider. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Huggle: meet the women taking over the tech industry". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
  6. ^ "Badoo Acquires Dating App Huggle And All-Female Team". Business Cloud. March 16, 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Bumble S-1 Form". January 15, 2021. p. 109.
  8. ^ "What is huggle? The dating app Katie Price has been told to join". Metro. 2017-09-11. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
  9. ^ Budd, Maddy (December 20, 2016). "This is What Happened When I Tried to Make New Friends on an App". Harpers Bazaar. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  10. ^ Saul, Heather (November 23, 2016). "Young, Successful, Busy Yet Lonely: A Generation Empowered By The Internet And Plagued By Loneliness". Independent. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  11. ^ Ng, Alan (June 14, 2017). "Huggle app on iOS, Android for friends not dating". Product Reviews. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  12. ^ Tamplin, Harley (February 14, 2018). "Tech feminist has banned Valentine's Day on her dating app"
  13. ^ Barr, Sabrina (February 9, 2018). "Valentine's Day 2018: Dating App Huggle Is Encouraging Users To Celebrate Being Single on February 14". Independent.co.uk
  14. ^ "Co-founders of dating app Huggle on their mission to change social media, one app at a time". 4 May 2018.
  15. ^ Maddy Budd (December 20, 2016). "This is What Happened When I Tried to Make New Friends on an App". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  16. ^ "Huggle launch aims to help people find friends safely online". The Week. June 21, 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  17. ^ Allison, Conor (September 16, 2016). "Stupid selfies can stop you being catfished". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Report: Online Dating: How Safe Is It Really?". June 6, 2017.