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Tinder, the app that revolutionised the online dating market, is adding a series of new features aimed at appealing to younger users in the hope of increasing engagement and building trust in dating apps.
The West Hollywood, California-based company laid out its vision for the future on Thursday, outlining how it wants to be seen among younger and millennial crowds with a flurry of updates aimed at making the popular dating app the top choice in the dating scene.
“Over the past year, there’s been a lot of noise around dating apps, headlines about fatigue and Gen Z opting out but let me be clear: the need for human connection is stronger than ever,” CEO Spencer Rascoff said during the event, addressing how dating apps sometimes come with pressure and certain expectations, and how he wants to change that to turn Tinder into a modern dating app.
The West Hollywood, California-based company laid out its vision for the future on Thursday, outlining how it wants to be seen among younger and millennial crowds with a flurry of updates aimed at making the popular dating app the top choice in the dating scene.
While Gen Z and millennials are increasingly finding new ways to connect and make real-life connections beyond traditional dating apps, Tinder is taking that cue to build new features. These include a new Events tab, which is testing in Los Angeles this month, will connect users to in-person dating events, whether it’s a pottery class, a trivia night, or a pickleball session. A brand-new Video Speed Dating feature is also being tested for Photo Verified users, who can join scheduled virtual events for quick, three-minute video chats.
Other features include specialty swiping modes for music and astrology, with the latter mode builds on the increased interest in astrology among young users. Early testing shows that these modes are driving more engagement. One in 10 users under 22 has adopted Music Mode, and there has been a 20 per cent increase in likes sent by women on astrology profiles.
Tinder is also broadening its trust and safety improvements by updating features like “Are You Sure?” and “Does This Bother You?”. The latter is being enhanced to detect more harmful messages, along with a new auto-blur feature that hides disrespectful content.
Tinder is also broadening its trust and safety improvements by updating features like “Are You Sure?” and “Does This Bother You?”. The latter is being enhanced to detect more harmful messages, along with a new auto-blur feature that hides disrespectful content.
Match Group’s Tinder is also turning to artificial intelligence with a new feature called Chemistry to help reduce the now-increasing trend of “swipe fatigue,” a growing problem among online daters who feel burned out and are searching for better outcomes. Introduced last quarter, Chemistry uses AI to get to know users through questions and, with permission, can access their phone’s Camera Roll to learn more about their interests and personality. At the time, Chemistry was being tested in Australia and New Zealand, but it is now being expanded to the US and Canada.
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Tinder also introduced “Learning Mode,” a brand new feature that shows more relevant matches earlier by quickly analysing user preferences, reducing the need for multiple swiping sessions to understand what users are looking for and improves match recommendations faster.
The app is also getting a modern revamp with a Liquid Glass-like design, similar to Apple’s, along with full-screen photos and content.
The announcements, made during Tinder’s first Sparks event at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, underscore how the dating app that leads the market is facing stiff competition—not only from its rivals, but also from changing habits among younger daters who want to connect more authentically beyond swiping.
More than a decade ago, Tinder became the hottest dating app, changing how single daters connect online—swiping through profiles, matching, and meeting up. Now, Tinder faces the challenge of keeping up with users’ expectations and reviving the appeal of online dating. The app has been attempting to focus over the past year on improving its app ecosystem and retain younger and women users, including rolling out safety features such as ID verification in many markets.
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Perhaps the biggest test for Tinder, which has 50 million monthly active users, is how to woo Gen Z users and keep younger online daters on its platform as they grow tired of swiping. The dating app is finding new ways to engage users with in-person events, turning to AI and additional features to keep users hooked to the platform.
Although Tinder is still the most popular dating app, it has recently lost users in some markets. At the same time, there is an explosion of dating apps, including Bumble, Grindr, Hinge, and OkCupid, which are quickly gaining popularity in the online dating scene. While the overall popularity of dating apps has remained steady, there has been a slight decline in downloads in recent years.
Tinder is the largest app in Match Group, which also includes Match, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and 36 other dating app brands aimed at diverse users. Match Group is the dominant force in the dating industry, with a market value of $7.2 billion.
The company has a new leadership team, including new chief executive Spencer Rascoff, who started in July, who has the job to turn the world’s largest dating app into more topical and meaningful in line with changing user behaviour. Rascoff is also the chief executive of Tinder’s parent company, Match Group.
