After months of buildup, Feeld, a free-range dating app, recently made its official re-debut for its many users, but it was a less-than-stellar return due to some technical difficulties, writes Gina Cherelus for The New York Times.

The tech issues included users being unable to log in, view likes, read and respond to messages. Other users even had their private profiles and locations become public. 

Feeld is a dating app that welcomes individuals interested in a wide range of kinks —  such as polyamory, nonmonogamy, and voyeurism — so when it went down, it put a damper on many users’ plans.

Frank Rodriguez, who lives in Philadelphia, was one of those people.

“I messaged someone just before the update and then I was like, ‘Ugh, this is such bad timing,’” he said.

As the team worked to resolve the problem, Rodriguez was left wondering whether his unanswered messages resulted from the technical difficulties or a lack of interest.

Other users endured missed connections, disrupted date plans, and lost money due to refunds for premium subscribers not being an option.

While the app team worked to present solutions, the outrage and frustration show how relevant dating apps are for many. 

Read more about Feeld and the impact it has on its users at The New York Times.

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