I Tried Zoosk's Live Video Dating — Here's What Really Happened

Overview

Since its early days in 2007, Zoosk has pushed boundaries and tested innovative tools for online dating. The platform is currently going all in with free video technology that makes live conversations accessible 24/7. I tested the dating site and app with a free and paid plan for two months. I found that members on the app are responsive, engaged, and willing to chat across long distances. Zoosk is a casual and low-pressure environment for singles to explore, and I like how much value comes with a free account.

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Zoosk might not always be the first name that comes to mind in online dating, but it’s far from new to the scene. Since launching in 2007, it has built a community of more than 30 million people, proof that it’s been doing something right. 

The website promises “Smart Online Dating,” and the unique video technology certainly speaks to its Silicon Valley team.

I created a Zoosk profile to test it out and see if I could have a good chat with someone near my small suburb outside Orlando. Here’s how it went.

How the Registration Process Works (4 Steps) 

I’d say Zoosk is easy to navigate. Clear instructions, nothing crazy, no intrusive personality questions.

I became a full-fledged member in about 10 minutes. 

I used the website and the app for comparison. The app was significantly faster to join and included video options. But Zoosk’s frequent notifications were more intrusive on my phone than in my email.

Step 1: Enter Your Information

Zoosk asks for: 

• Name (first name or a nickname is fine) 
• Gender identity (man or woman)
• Gender you want to date (interested in women, men, or both)
• Birthday
• Email address (must confirm the email address)

I had the option to use Facebook or Google signup to hurry things along. This is a faster way to verify profile details (age, gender, etc.). 

I chose to connect my Google account. I don’t love the idea of Zoosk collecting data on my friends list and photos, so I kept my Facebook separate.

Data Breakdown

User Base: All Singles

Zoosk.com has an active and diverse user base in 80 countries. The dating site caters to singles of all ages and orientations.

Popularity: 28.9 Million

Zoosk has an extremely vast and active user base of 40 million members who collectively send an average of 3 million messages a day on the site.

Gender Ratio: M:48% – F:52%

Zoosk has a relatively even split between men (48%) and women (52%) registered on the site.

The Zoosk app uses GPS to detect location. That means no one can fudge where they are.

Other information that is optional (but should probably be filled in for better matches) includes:

At this point, my profile looked like this:

Added perk: If you like phone dates (I really don’t, but to each their own), you can add a phone number to your profile. Zoosk will put a phone icon on your profile, and that’ll allow matches (only people you’ve liked) to call you through the app if they’ve added their number as well.

Step 2: Add a Photo

Profiles without a photo are invisible, and you can’t swipe in the Carousel without a photo, so adding at least one pic is a must. I had the option to add up to seven pictures to my gallery, and not all of them had to be of me. 

I saw a lot of outdoor travel photos in other people’s galleries, and I didn’t mind it, as long as at least one photo showed me what the guy looked like.

I had the option to upload from my device or from Facebook (if I connected to my profile, which I didn’t). It was pretty fast and easy to fill up that gallery since I could include things like pictures of my backyard or dog.

The photo guidelines encourage a well-lit, straight-on headshot, and the moderators promise to remove anything inappropriate.

I didn’t see any nudity or stock images in my browsing, so it seems the photo moderators are doing their job. When I uploaded a stock image just to see what would happen, it was removed within two hours.

Curiously, my actual photo was later removed even though it was a simple headshot. I can only guess the professional lighting raised flags? Or I’d angered the Zoosk gods by adding a fake photo earlier?

Step 3: Fill Out Your Story (Optional)

Next came writing prompts, which were pretty straightforward: 

• My story
• My perfect match
• My ideal date

There was a max character limit of 1,500, but no minimums, so I chose to keep it pretty brief.

For my story, I went with, “I’m a writer of web articles, would-be novels, and to-do lists. Florida born and raised, family-oriented, Disney annual passholder, dog mom.”

For my perfect match, I wrote: “I want a man who will be a true partner. Driven at work, but never too tired for binge-watching reality shows with me. Emotionally available. Dog-friendly. Intellectually curious and reads books for fun.”

For my ideal date, I said, “If chocolate or cheesecake is involved, I’m in.”

I like being specific in my written responses because it works as a built-in icebreaker for people wondering what to say to me. The answer is always: ask about my dog!

Step 4: Verify Your Profile Details

Zoosk can’t do much to stop small-time fibbers, but it does have verification steps to block scam artists from claiming to be someone they’re not. 

The platform can verify photos, phone numbers, Facebook profiles, and Google accounts. But I’d have to opt in for all that.

I’d highly recommend verifying your photos to prove you’re not a catfish. A little checkmark appears on the pictures. That badge can inspire more confidence – and more matches.

I’ll say this: I didn’t encounter any creepy or inappropriate photos on Zoosk. 

My Experience Browsing on Zoosk for Free

Zoosk has a clean design that doesn’t throw too many curveballs out there. It has swiping in the Carousel, matches in Connections, and a lot of profiles to view in Search and Online Now (all of this is free to access).

The Carousel has a yes, no, and maybe option. It only shows one photo and an age (no names or locations), so I didn’t spend much time here. I’d just be clicking maybe all day!

Zoosk has so many features that it can be hard to know where to start. I could see who’s online now. Or I could check out the livestreamers. Or I could go to Search and adjust filters for age and distance. Or check my notifications (which hit a paywall).

Every part of the layout is saying, “Hey, look, over here!” It can be overwhelming at first.

I alternated between the Search and Online Now tabs to find potential matches. The first profile I liked was of a 35-year-old in a cowboy hat. He had a slight smile and a hand on the hat as if to say, “G’day, ma’am,” so I figured he’d be fun and polite.

When I looked at his other photos, I realized why he’d chosen a hat for his main pic (I guess it isn’t technically hatfishing if the other photos show the lack of hair), but his profile listed cooking and bowling as his interests, so I still thought it could be a good match. But he didn’t send a like in response.

Many of the profiles struck me as casual daters. Some didn’t even give their names, like “Zoosker” here.

Only a handful of guys filled in what they were looking for, and they often chose multiple options. One shirtless self-employed 36-year-old said he wanted casual dating, friendship, don’t know yet, other. Sounds about right.

I did see a couple guys I’d be interested in getting to know better. A 30-year-old in my town didn’t share much beyond the basics (athletic, Latinx, attended college, no kids), but his photo was a playful selfie, and I appreciated that he’d taken the time to verify his picture. I sent a like his way.

Another man who came up multiple times in my list (maybe he’s a paid member?) was clean-shaven, never married, Christian, and actually put that he wanted a long-term relationship. But he was 50 miles away.

Most users only had one photo, and a lot of them were wearing hats and sunglasses, so it was very much seeing-where-things-go and doing-the-bare-minimum vibes.

My takeaway: Zoosk is a viable space to mingle with low stakes. It’s quick, it’s free to look around, and I could see it working for a young person (especially a woman) who wants to keep things casual.

How the Matching Works

Zoosk uses a behavioral matchmaking algorithm. That means it looks for patterns in browsing, liking, and chatting habits to determine who my type is. 

In theory, the more I use the app or site, the better my matches will be. 

What I like about this system: It’s actions over words. I didn’t have to tell it I like tall men with glasses; I just clicked on the profiles that I thought were cute, and the algorithm gave me more of that Harry-Potter type.

• Does it use an algorithm? Yes.
• Will it suggest compatible matches? For paid users only.
• Does it take user preferences into account? Yes, but you must pay for extra filters.

Paid members receive SmartPick suggestions that use AI to identify compatibility. These picks disappear within 24 hours.

It’s not clear to me how these matches are “smarter” than the ones in the Carousel or Search, so I wouldn’t call it a great perk. It’s just one more place to look at profiles. Even after I paid, this section remained blank.

I like that I’m not stuck blindly swiping. I can put my fate in my own hands using the search filters.

Zoosk has basic search filters based on:

And paid filters (aka Z+ filters) for:

The filters I find most useful are for my two dealbreakers: wanting children and being well-educated (college degree or higher). But matches have to fill in those details to make this Z+ filter effective, and I saw it left blank a lot.

I set relatively broad filters for 10 years older and younger than myself. I kept the 100-mile search radius that was the default.

What’s Unique About the Matching? The array of options. It’s not just one swipe list…I have several ways to sort and view profiles. Especially after paying for Z+ filters.

Communication Features

Zoosk does not require mutual matches to unlock chats. But it does put a paywall on the inbox.

I couldn’t read messages or write anything to anyone without paying.

I will say Zoosk profiles have one glaring blind spot. I can’t tell if the member is on a free or premium plan.

I received two messages on my first day and couldn’t tell those poor guys anything back until I subscribed. The green dot on my profile told them I was active on the site, but there was no way for them to know I was a free member who couldn’t message.

Once I subscribed, I ran into that issue as well, not knowing if I was being ghosted or if the person I’d messaged couldn’t answer.

Video Features

Where Zoosk goes above and beyond is with video tools. This feature is only on the app, but it is worth checking out because the chatting is all free.

The video livestreaming in the Live section felt more like entertainment than dating. As a free member, I was able to view live video feeds or choose to Go Live and get immediate attention.

The leaderboard highlights the most popular streamers on the app. It was about 90% women. 

One room had a peppy young woman talking about her lunch plans later, another had a man sitting on his couch talking about online gaming. Sometimes music played in the background. Sometimes the person wasn’t on camera.

I saw one Battle where two streamers competed to get more diamonds and gifts from the viewers.

It’s important to note that it isn’t all Zoosk members here. According to the privacy policy, “When using Zoosk Live, you may be visible to users from other dating and social platforms outside of Zoosk.” The ability to cross into different partnered platforms expands its reach, which means more people to talk to.

The streamers often engaged with people in the comments, either flirtatiously or just making conversation. It was all pretty light and casual socializing. Like TikTok, if the people talked back to you.

At one point, I stumbled upon a room that I thought was empty, just looking at a car in a garage, and then a muscular white man sauntered on screen with a baritone, “What’s up, Amber?” I could’ve chosen to type a response, but I fled like the introverted lurker I am.

You can chat with the streamers for free or pay to send virtual gifts (buying in at about $20 for the virtual currency).

Even as a viewer, I benefited from Zoosk Live because my profile got views from the streamers I interacted with, and one even sent a like (thankfully not the guy in the garage).

Paying for Zoosk: Cost Breakdown & Messaging Perks

A free profile is all looking, no interaction. I ran into paywalls when trying to send chats or open received messages. I couldn’t see who’d viewed my profile or liked me either.

I could see the name and age of the people who’d messaged, and I knew I had three messages waiting on me. So I decided I needed to upgrade to get the full experience.

To unlock messaging windows, here’s what it costs:

Zoosk recommends the three-month plan ($59.97 paid upfront), saying these users are 30% more likely to find a partner. I have no way to verify the stat, but it makes sense that people who give themselves more swipe time than a mere 30 days might have more success.

Important to note: Zoosk plans will auto-renew unless canceled by going into Settings.

For commitment-phobes, there is a week-to-week option priced at $19.99 per week. That’s the equivalent of dipping a toe in the water. 

I went with the three-month plan.

Zoosk Coins

I looked into getting a bundle of Zoosk Coins as well. These coins pay for the virtual gifts in the Zoosk Live arena and some bonus features on the platform. It’s a pretty versatile currency.

Here’s a breakdown of the cost of Zoosk coins:

• $19.95 for 180 coins
• $39.95 for 480 coins
• $99.95 for 1500 coins

Coins pay for special features, including the ability to “go invisible,” which is basically browsing incognito. The profile’s only visible to the people you like and message.

After I sent a message to someone, I could pay 35 coins to see if my message was read.

Zoosk Coins are not required to chat, so I skipped it.

Pro Tip: If you’re not getting much action, you can spend 100 coins to boost your profile to 50 users. This is most helpful if you want to get more likes and messages coming your way.

What My Messages Said

The three messages I received during my free membership were pretty lackluster (sorry, fellas), and if I weren’t writing a review and interested in user responsiveness, I would’ve left them on read.

Here are the three messages:

• Hello Amber…..I love your pic 😉
• Hi Amber. How are you doing? You are very beautiful. Are you interested in long-term friendship or a relationship?
• That pizza looks yummy!

The last one is just strange. At no point did I upload any picture with a pizza in it.

I chose to answer door number two. I thanked him for the compliment, said I’m always up for making friends, and asked what his go-to for dinner is (because his profile said he likes to cook). 

He answered within 30 minutes (lightning fast given it was the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday) that you can’t go wrong with a good stir fry. So true. 

We had a good back-and-forth conversation, but the chat didn’t last long since he lives in Queens and only works in Tampa (which is still a good three hours away from me). He didn’t seem to mind the long distance, but it was a non-starter for me.

While I was at it, I said hello to the curly-haired Latinx guy and asked if he was a dog person. No answer…yet!

Side quest: The app let me message straight away. But before I could type a response on desktop, Zoosk required me to “complete my profile,” which meant:

• Adding three more photos.
• Verifying my photos via Facebook or a live selfie or video.
• Adding what I was looking for (I chose “don’t know yet”).
• Tagging at least one interest on a list that ranged from dog lover to rock climbing.

It makes sense that Zoosk wants to motivate people to add more photos and information. But it made me question why so many users had the bare minimum. Are they all free members who can’t chat? Concerning.

I’d say Zoosk messaging was a mixed bag of small talk, but no one sent me sexual comments or raised red flags, so I thought it went pretty well overall.

Something odd: I noticed a couple of messages sent “from me” to other users. They read: “Hi, thanks so much for the greeting. How are you doing today?”

I’m thinking this was an automated message when I clicked like on somebody at some point. But I wasn’t aware until I paid that those messages would be sent in my name. A heads up would’ve been nice, Zoosk!

Safety Assurances: Zoosk Verifies Everyone’s Profiles & Pictures

I didn’t see any obvious fake profiles in my browsing. Zoosk does what it can to check photos and hold members accountable, but of course, it’s not infallible. I’m sure catfish profiles are in the mix, as they are on any dating service.

The safety features include:

The paid chatting policy is part of Zoosk’s many layers of safety. Scammers aren’t likely to pony up the cash for a membership when they can nab victims for free on other sites. 

Romance scammers would have to jump through a lot of hoops (including paying for an account) just to get banned as soon as they ask for money.

I felt safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t powerless should a bad actor find their way to my inbox. I knew I could use the block button and reporting system to handle any threat (but none came).

Zoosk can’t catch every lie on every dating profile, but they can keep users from faking photos and promoting their businesses. 

I would say Zoosk does a decent job of verifying photos. I didn’t see any obvious AI or stock photos.

I didn’t encounter anyone I’d classify as threatening or concerning. Real users seem to outnumber the fakes on Zoosk.

Caveat: Zoosk doesn’t perform background checks, so you still need to vet online matches and use good sense.

Pros & Cons

Zoosk has a lot going for it. I’d say the biggest plus was certainly the video features. Not many dating apps have successfully integrated live video, and Zoosk has even gamified it so users are earning gifts or perks and meeting people at the same time.

Although I ran into a few issues with load times, my overall experience with Zoosk was positive. It has unique features and plenty of ways to browse, lurk, and chat. I didn’t run into any unsavory people, and I think a lot of that has to do with the verification systems in place.

Zoosk Has a Lot of Engaging Features

Zoosk has a broad appeal to singles of different backgrounds. It’s a diverting place to view profiles, enjoy video streaming, and try your luck if the mainstream apps have done you dirty. 

Zoosk is pretty wholesome, too — there weren’t a lot of ab shots or kissy faces, and I was surprised how many users had children or said they wanted children. Profile bios were brief, but they gave enough information to determine if I wanted to send a like or chat.

If video dating intrigues you, I recommend the Zoosk app. It can deliver a lot of opportunities to mingle in a virtual space (and get called out by local livestreamers).