Lockdown hasn't exactly been brimming with romance for all Kiwis but for some, restrictions have led them to turn to dating apps to pass the time.
Despite being tied to our bubbles for the last six weeks, dating apps have seen a surge in users who will now be able to meet, who they've been talking to online under Level 2 rules.
During lockdown conversations on dating app Tinder, increased by 20 per cent.
Bumble's usage jumped by 23 per cent and on the New Zealand owned app Find Someone there was a 54 per cent rise in messages being sent.
Although dating apps have a reputation of causal flings, one expert says she's expecting the lockdown to create a number of strong relationships.
"We are so obsessed with the physical, so this time we can pull it right back to getting to know the person and one really good type is to ask yourself, if I could only ever talk to this person, would that be enough," said sexologist Morgan Penn.
Bachelorette Jen Reynolds says after weeks of talking she feels she knows her match pretty well and a typical date might not cut it when the pair finally meet up.
"Bars are going to limited to how many people they can have, so you're gonna be queuing to get anywhere anyway, so having to queue kind of ruins the evening, and I think people will be more creative," said Ms Reynolds.
While emotional walls many have come down during lockdown, Ms Penn says it needs to carry through.
"We need to take that then into the flesh because it's really hard to sometimes make the shift from being... safe in your home having chats and then connecting on a level where you're whole body is connected and your pheromones are going," says Ms Penn.
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