Coffee Meets Bagel, a popular dating app known for its curated matches, has experienced a multi-day system outage, leaving its users frustrated and disappointed. The app, which prides itself on being “for serious daters,” has been inaccessible since August 27, causing disruptions in users’ budding romances and missed opportunities for connections. As the app boasts over 10 million sign-ups worldwide, users across Asia and beyond have been affected by this ongoing outage.
With the firm’s engineers claiming to be working diligently to fix the system outage, users eagerly await the return of their beloved app. However, speculation has arisen regarding the cause of the outage. Some users have suggested the possibility of a ransomware attack or data compromises, while others have jokingly referred to the notion of employee sabotage. Reddit threads are filled with comments speculating about the reasons behind the outage, with one user suggesting that someone who was “ghosted” sought revenge by bringing down Coffee Meets Bagel.
The frustration expressed by users extends beyond the inconvenience of the outage itself. Many have voiced concerns about expiring messages, missed connections, and the fear that their matches, affectionately called “bagels,” might think they are being stand-offish. Users are upset that this outage is hindering their ability to connect with individuals they have already started forming relationships with. One user’s top-liked comment laments, “RIP to the poor souls who scheduled dates yesterday and couldn’t coordinate, who had meaningful conversations going and lost them.”
The impact of this outage can be seen in the creative ways users have tried to salvage their prospects. A Reddit user recounts resorting to Google searching his match to find her LinkedIn profile and messaging her there, feeling like a creep in the process. On the other hand, there are also success stories, such as a couple in China who managed to find each other on XiaoHongShu (China’s version of Instagram) after one of them posted about the date location they had planned through Coffee Meets Bagel.
Amidst the dissatisfaction with the ongoing system failure, users have criticized the lack of information provided by the company. The status update released by Coffee Meets Bagel has been deemed insufficient, with users pleading for more transparency about the expected duration of the outage. Concerns about possible security breaches have also been raised, particularly by users who provided personal information like passport copies for verification purposes. As a consequence, some users have expressed their intention to delete the app and turn to alternative dating platforms like Hinge and Bumble.
Coffee Meets Bagel, founded in 2011 by the Kang sisters in San Francisco, aimed to differentiate itself from other dating apps by offering curated matches and more detailed profiles. The app has positioned itself as a platform for users seeking long-term relationships, with 90% of its user base actively pursuing committed partnerships. However, this extended system outage has undoubtedly tested the loyalty and patience of Coffee Meets Bagel’s once-satisfied users, potentially leading to a decline in its market presence as frustrated users seek alternatives.
