‘The Bachelor’ Host Chris Harrison Releases Video Dating App

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People often say they know within the first minute of meeting someone whether they feel a spark or potential love connection. But with online dating, it can take days or weeks of courting and chatting before finally getting face-to-face time. And even then, there’s no guarantee of feeling any chemistry.

To bypass this issue, Chris Harrison — the host of ABC’s popular dating shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — and series creator Mike Fleiss launched a new dating app called At First Sight, which centers around video profiles. They are aiming to give users a deeper look at members, beyond just pictures.

“We looked at dating sites and what could make them better for people looking for relationship and how can people get a better sense of who is on the other side,” Harrison told Mashable. “We thought about the power of video when casting seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and seeing firsthand how quickly it allows you to get a sense of person.”

Unlike flipping through pictures on an online dating site, users can browse videos and then visit those users’ profiles for more information.

“Instead of a slew of static photos and long profiles, people can scroll through videos of a potential date for a firsthand look and decide for themselves if there is potential chemistry,” Harrison said. “It’s like going on 100 coffee dates without leaving your house.”

At First Sight — now available on iOS and Android devices — also combines chat and social features, so you can send messages directly through the app. Although a video-chat function doesn’t exist just yet, a user could, in theory, ask another member for a virtual date via FaceTime, Skype or Google Hangout.

The app also uses algorithms to help members find the best matches for their personalities and interests.

“People can view online dating as a last resort and kind of a crapshoot,” Harrison added. “We want to change that.”

Although he already has a profile up on the app, Harrison doesn’t have any interest in becoming the star of The Bachelor in the future.

“I don’t think it’s really for me,” Harrison said. “I’m not really the type of guy that dates out loud, lives out loud. On top of that, having been behind the curtain and helped produce this, it would be so hard to be genuine and go through it with any sense of naiveté. You kind of have to have that innocence to be the bachelor or the bachelorette.”

To get the app now, click here.

Do you think video profiles will help people find better connections online? Let us know in the comments below.

Image via Tiffany Rose/Getty Images

Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/06/19/the-bachelor-at-first-sight/

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