In that span, it’s hard to argue that Tinder has become the go-to app for people looking to date, hook up, find a long-term relationship, or simply see what kind of interesting singles might be in their area, despite lacking many features of the dating sites it left in its dust.
That’s because its so-called “killer app” — the core functionality it had that others didn’t — allowed it to develop a strong reputation and user base that have not yet been eroded away by other apps. Which is to say, now, as ever, the ability to find people near you and discover if there’s mutual interest is an unbeatable tool when it comes to online dating.
RELATED: How to Tell If She’s Genuinely Interested in You or Just Being Polite
Yes, Tinder is an always-available, pocket-sized method for finding the person of your dreams — or, at the very least, a regret-free hookup — but the app can be frustrating when you don’t completely understand its functionality. To ensure you get the most out of your experience, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to dating with Tinder.
Here’s everything you need to know, from how to use Tinder to how to get matches, and how to move from the app to the real world:
Contents
Does Tinder Work for Guys?
Crafting Your Tinder Profile
How to Use Tinder
Frequently Asked Tinder Questions
Sending the Right First Tinder Message
Tips for Landing a Tinder Date
Best Alternatives to Tinder
More Tinder Info
Does Tinder Work for Guys?
The first question on the minds of plenty of guys is, “Does this thing even work!?” The answer is clear: Yes, it does, but that depends on a few key components entirely under your control. That includes your profile, swiping strategy and messaging technique, as well as first clarifying what you even mean by “work.” Let’s take a closer look at how people use Tinder for different outcomes before moving on to some tips for getting matches:
Is Tinder for Dating or Hooking Up?
There is some confusion about what Tinder is even for. Is it for serious dating, or just for casual hook ups? The short answer is both: You can use Tinder for a variety of reasons, varying from making friends to something casual to dating with the intention of finding your forever person. While Tinder started life as a hookup app, it’s no longer appropriate to assume that everyone who is using it is looking for sex — some really are just looking to extend their social network.
How Do You Know Why Someone Is on Tinder?
If Tinder is used for so many different purposes, how can you tell whether the person in your match list are looking for friendship, hook ups or serious dating? Well, there are a few key signs and phrases. For example, if you see the phrase “no ONS” on Tinder, that stands for “no one-night stands,” and means that person is unlikely to be interested in casual sex. The same goes for phrases like “no hook ups,” “seeking something serious or long-term” and “no players” — anything along these lines will indicate something more serious. Equally, someone hinting at casual sex or a one-night stand will probably use wording like “no strings” or “casual fun only,” or less explicitly, with phrases like “only here for a good time.”
What Are You Looking For?
You can use Tinder for any of the above reasons, but it pays to be clear with yourself and everyone else; if you know exactly what you’re looking for, you’ll have a better chance of finding it. If you’re not looking for anything more than hooking up, you should make that clear, ideally in your bio (“not looking for anything serious,” “seeking hook ups”) or at least once you start chatting to your matches (more on that below). If you’re looking to date seriously, that should also be immediately evident to anyone interacting with you.
Once you’re clear about what you want and you’ve made sure everyone else is, you’re going to need to craft the perfect profile to maximize your chance of getting matches:
Crafting Your Tinder Profile
If you’re one of the few remaining singles on Earth still unexperienced with Tinder, the first step is to create the best possible profile with the best possible pictures. Yes, Tinder is largely a looks-based endeavor (most dating apps are) and can sometimes feel superficial for that reason, but remember: It’s not really any different to meeting someone at a party or bar. You tend to approach the people you find physically attractive in real life, and then talk to them to see if there’s a deeper connection, right? It’s the same story with Tinder. Make sure that you’re creating an excellent first impression by following these Tinder photo tips:
Lead Photo
It’s important to use a flattering (but not misleading) picture of yourself in your profile, and starting with a clear, well-composed, smiling image is your best bet. Make sure that your leading pic is a solo shot without other people in it — you don’t want potential matches to fall in love with your best friend.
RELATED: How a Bad Tinder Profile Photo Can Ruin Your Dating Chances
Helpfully, Tinder has a “smart photo” function which continually tests the success rate of the photos you’ve uploaded to your profile, and automatically shows your best-performing photo to other users first. It’s well worth enabling this function as it doesn’t cost anything extra, and Tinder claims that it boosts right swipes by 12 percent. Like it or not, choosing the right Tinder pictures is the key to your online dating success.
Photo Diversity
Ideally, you want to take advantage of all the photo slots Tinder offers you to provide as much information as possible to potential matches. Consider that your pictures give away crucial information not just about what you look like, but also how you like to spend your time, matches are going to form a certain impression of you depending on whether you’re squatting in the gym, splayed out on a beach with friends or chugging back beer at the game.
Don’t partake in kittenfishing — the lite version of catfishing — by uploading misleadingly flattering photos, and make sure your images are recent enough to show what you look like now. Remember, there’s no point in being dishonest. It’s all going to come out in the wash when you meet a match IRL, so be upfront from the start. If you’re really having trouble selecting photos, you could consider linking your profile to your Instagram account.
Bio
Your bio is optional, but we highly recommended including one. You’re allowed up to 500 words to showcase your dazzling personality here, but we’d suggest you err on the side of relative brevity as online daters don’t want to read a novel while they’re swiping. Make your bio about you, and keep it short, simple and friendly — it’s a bonus if it’s funny, but you don’t want to come across as trying too hard, either.
How to Use Tinder
Depending on how much money you’re willing to spend, Tinder has several useful options to maximize your chance of getting matches. The Boost function can help for accumulating matches as it pushes you to the front of the match line for people in your area for half an hour. After the Boost session is over, you will see stats on how much more exposure your profile got (4x, 8x, etc), to ensure you got your money’s worth. Of course, you have to pay for the privilege, and free users cannot dictate where in the queue their profiles appear.
One potential pitfall of Tinder is that swiping becomes so reflexive that it is easy to accidentally swipe left on someone because you’re going too fast. In those cases, Tinder’s Rewind function is invaluable — hand over a few bucks, and you can recover the person of your dreams that you accidentally swiped left on (free users will simply need to slow down and pay attention to what they’re doing).
If you’re willing to pay for Tinder’s subscription services, Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold, you can unlock the Passport function, which allows you to swipe in different cities and countries. So, for example, you could be in London but visiting New York in a week’s time, and Passport will let you start swiping on New York-based profiles from across the pond.
However, even if you’re not willing to pay to use Tinder, there are some swiping strategies that are available to you. One is to use the Super Like function, which tells a user you really like them, bringing you to the front of their queue (free users get one Super Like per day). Another is to bear in mind that those who’ve already swiped right on you are likely to show up near the beginning of your queue, so it’s worth paying careful attention to profiles that appear early in your swiping session. That being said, constantly right-swiping to game the system is a bad idea as it just means you’ll match with those you may not be interested in. Swipe right only on people you genuinely hope to match with, so that when you see that coveted, “Congratulations! It’s a match!” alert, it actually means something.
Tinder Plus
Tinder has now introduced a “Tinder Plus” option: A paid version of the app which gives you various benefits — at a cost, of course.
So, what are the advantages to Tinder Plus that make it worth all that extra money? Here are some of the touted benefits:
Match Around the World
One coveted benefit of Tinder Plus is the ability to match with users around the world, as opposed to just in your area. So, if you live in California but have an upcoming holiday in Paris, for example, you can start swiping in Paris and accumulating matches before you even arrive. Tinder is truly a global dating service.
Rewind Left Swipes
Another prized feature of Tinder Plus is the ability to rewind your last swipe. This means that if you accidentally swipe left on a user and instantly regret it (because you’re swiping too fast, perhaps), you can “rewind” the swipe, bringing that user back into view so that you can correct your mistake and swipe right instead.
Super Likes
Tinder Plus also allows you to send more Super Likes. Hit the blue star instead of the green check mark and you will show up near the beginning of this specific Tinder user’s queue with a notification that you used your Super Like. The Super Like helps you show a potential match that you are definitely interested, and it will guarantee that you are made visible without a guarantee that they’ll swipe right on you (sorry, but no Tinder feature can force a right swipe or guarantee a match!)
Tinder Plus users get five Super Likes per day compared to the sole daily Super Like allotted to regular users.
Boosts
Tinder Plus users get one free “boost” a week, which means that Tinder will make you the top profile in your area for 30 minutes. Ordinary Tinder users can also pay for individual boosts via the app at a rate that changes depending on how many boosts you buy. This is a way to potentially get more matches by making you much more visible to other users, but again, it’s no guarantee, so spend wisely.
Turning Off Ads
Tinder Plus users won’t see ads. This is perhaps the least tempting of Tinder Plus’ range of benefits as ads are a relatively minor annoyance for regular users, but it still doesn’t hurt.
Swipe Life
To assist users in their dating lives, Tinder has launched a lifestyle website, Swipe Life, a resource where singles can visit for advice when navigating dating in the digital space. The website offers date ideas, dating stories, the best restaurants and bars for dates in different cities and a whole bunch of fun and playful content catering to the general Tinder users.
Frequently Asked Tinder Questions
So is everything crystal clear? We won’t blame you if all of the above sounds pretty confusing, as Tinder is becoming ever more complicated and laden with new features. While you should be able to understand the basic mechanics of using the app now, there are still some common questions on people’s minds when it comes to using Tinder:
If You Swipe Left, Are They Gone Forever?
One question on the minds of many men is the permanence of the left swipe. If I’m not interested in someone and swipe left, does this mean I can’t change my mind at a later point?
The short answer is yes: Once you swipe left on someone, they are gone and will not return to your queue. However, there are two caveats. The first is that Tinder Plus users can rewind swipes, as mentioned above, so if you think you accidentally swiped left on your soulmate, you’re going to need to shell out some cash for the ability to rewind.
RELATED: Check Out AskMen’s Official Tinder Review
The second is that Tinder is still a bit buggy, and from time to time users have reported seeing left-swiped users popping back up into their queue. It’s also possible to delete your account and start again with a fresh account, meaning that you will have a chance of seeing someone you swiped left on once again. However, these are not rock solid options, and there’s no guaranteed way to revisit a left-swiped user — unless you have Tinder Plus, that is.
If You Swipe Left, Can They See You?
A Tinder user will not be notified or otherwise alerted if you swipe left on them, meaning that you don’t need to feel too worried about hurting someone’s feelings. Obviously, if someone swipes right on you and you aren’t a match, they’ll know that you haven’t swiped right, but this could be for a variety of reasons: Either you haven’t seen their profile yet, or you are not a frequent user of the app, or you have indeed swiped left for a variety of potential reasons.
How Do You Know If Someone Swiped Right on You?
The only way that you can tell for sure if someone has swiped right on you is to swipe right on them, too. However, we’ll let you in on a secret: People who’ve already swiped right on you are likely to show up near the beginning of your queue, so it could be worth paying careful attention to them as you are likelier to be a match.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Match?
There is no set answer for how long it takes to get matches on Tinder. In fact, there’s no rock solid guarantee you will get matches at all. However, if you have a strong profile and sound swiping strategy, you could theoretically be getting matches as soon as you start swiping, though for most people, it will take from a few hours to a few days to start seeing results.
How Long Do Matches Stay?
Tinder matches and any associated messages will remain until either you or your match deletes their Tinder account. Tinder users also have the option of “unmatching” users, which means that even if you become a match, either one of you can change your mind and unmatch the other. Otherwise, Tinder matches hang around until you decide to finally strike up a conversation, unlike other apps such as Bumble which instill a time limitation.
Why Don’t You Have Matches Yet?
If you have been using Tinder for a while and still don’t have any matches, you’ll need to reevaluate your profile. Check out the profile section above, and perhaps even consult a friend or two who could help make your profile more attractive and appealing.
Can You Find People You Know on Tinder?
It’s perfectly possible to see someone you know appearing on your queue on Tinder. If one of your friends or coworkers lives in your area and happens to be on Tinder with the same age and gender parameters as you, they may well appear in your queue, and vice versa. That’s just how social media works, folks!
Some people find the prospect of being seen on Tinder slightly embarrassing, but there’s really no reason to. It’s a hugely popular dating app and people use it for a variety of different reasons, plus your friend or coworker is also a user! If you see someone you know, you could swipe right and have a laugh about it if you match, or else just swipe left and forget about it.
Should I Swipe Right on Everyone to Get More Matches?
Constantly right-swiping to game the system is a bad idea. Swiping right indiscriminately just means you’ll match with people you may not be interested in, which is annoying for them and you, wasting their time and clogging up your messages. Swipe right only on those you genuinely hope to match with so that when you see that coveted, “Congratulations! It’s a match!” alert, it actually means something. Not only that, but new iterations of the app penalize indiscriminate swipers, so you’re better off being choosy.
Sending the Right First Tinder Message
Success! You’ve matched with that hottie with cute photos and a witty bio, and now you’re in the enviable position of being able to talk to them directly. Don’t rest on your laurels just because you know they’ve swiped right on you, though, as you can make or break the match depending on your approach. A lazy or creepy opener might even mean that they unmatch you, blocking you from any further contact.
RELATED: How to Talk to Girls on Tinder, Explained
Your opening line is crucial. Your matches are likely to have dozens of other potential prospects in their Tinder messages section, most of whom will be approaching with a tired, “Hey,” or, “How are you?” There’s no need to overcook it by opening the conversation with a sonnet, but it will work in your favor if you approach in a friendly, novel and interested way. Try asking an unusual question, like “If you won a million dollars today, what’s the first thing you’d do?” or compliment a particular detail in one of their photos (“That’s a really cute French bulldog! Is it yours?”)
A disappointing number of male Tinder users think it’s appropriate to start a conversation with lewd innuendo and overtly sexual “compliments” right off the bat.
Guys, please: Don’t start a conversation like this. Not every person is on Tinder looking for casual sex, but even those who are keen on a no-strings hookup are unlikely to be swept off their feet by a rude and juvenile approach. Make your approach flirty and friendly, and definitely avoid the negging strategy advocated by so-called pickup artists: Backhanded compliments are not going to endear you to anyone at the best of times, but they might be even worse on Tinder or other dating apps, where you can easily be unmatched with a couple of finger taps. Be positive, complimentary and charismatic instead.
Another thing to bear in mind when talking to your Tinder matches is that defensive, passive aggressive opening lines are fairly common, but rarely ever work: “Quite a lot of selfies you’ve got there,” for example, or “I guess I’ll get the ball rolling because women never start talking first.”
Don’t dump your frustrations onto your poor, unsuspecting Tinder match! Instead, spend a minute or two crafting something friendly and subtly flirty (or check out these Tinder conversation starters for ideas), and finish with a question to keep the banter flowing. Being kind and showing enough genuine interest to keep the conversation rolling is a winning strategy and should help to convert your matches into IRL dates.
How to Land a Tinder Date
Hopefully your opening line (or theirs!) has progressed into a natural, lively conversation, and you’re now both interested enough in each other to go on a first date. It can be a useful first step to exchange phone numbers so that you can text or chat over the phone, because Tinder’s messaging system can make for slow-moving and disjointed conversation. Apart from that, Tinder dates work like any other: Think of something pleasant to do, and show up on the agreed time and date, looking sharp and ready to have a great time.
When to Ask Them Out
There’s wiggle room here, and every user will have a different idea of the ideal time to progress from Tinder conversation to an IRL date. However, it’s not out-of-place to ask for a date within a day or two of chatting, or even an hour or two if things are going brilliantly. If you’re really hitting it off and you’ve had a great conversation, it’s fine to say something like, “You seem really cool! Would you like to grab a drink sometime?”
Don’t be too perturbed or offended if they say no — some are cagey about people from Tinder and may wish to wait a while before bringing it into the IRL realm, while others will relish the opportunity to meet in person. You really just have to try your luck by asking.
Where Should We Meet?
You are much more likely to convince someone to meet with you IRL if you suggest meeting at a cafe or bar rather than at your house or hotel room. Even those who are interested in using Tinder for casual sex are unlikely to want to come straight to your bedroom for a variety of reasons including their own safety. Remember, you two are essentially still strangers even if you’ve had a lively conversation on Tinder, so take things slowly and be sensible. In short, meet in public.
How Many People Actually Meet Through Tinder?
For fairly obvious reasons, it’s impossible to know with any certainty how many people are actually meeting up with their Tinder matches. But rest assured that it’s happening — ask any of your friends or coworkers who use the app and they can regale you with stories about their Tinder dates, both good and bad, and Tinder’s Twitter account even claims that the app is leading to a “sh*t ton” of marriages (although hard data is thin on the ground here).
So that’s how Tinder works: From swiping to crafting your profile all the way through to sending the perfect opener and setting up a great date, we’ve got you covered. Tinder can be as effective in finding a new relationship as more traditional dating sites like Zoosk. Stick to the advice above and you can’t go too far wrong.
Read the full AskMen review of Tinder here
It’s true that Tinder can be frustrating and that some users are time-wasters, but it can also be an incredible way to meet people who you would otherwise never have encountered. Once you have a handle on how the technology works, simple, timeworn techniques are still what it takes to make approaching dates rewarding rather than scary. Be warm, interested and gracious in the face of rejection, and it’s hard to imagine things going too badly for you. Now, get swiping!
Best Alternatives to Tinder
Of course, Tinder isn’t the only option out there, and in fact the user experience can be pretty exhausting. Tinder is hugely popular and has its perks — an intuitive interface, millions of users and the fact that most features are free, for a start — but there are real downsides, too, and the fast pace, unresponsiveness, superficiality and difficulty of transitioning into IRL might start to get you wondering what else is out there in terms of dating tools.
Well, there are plenty of other options if you know where to look. Check out the following alternatives:
Match
Match.com has all of the usual features of a reliable dating site, but one advantage that stands out in particular: you get a generous six-month money back guarantee. So, you can really experiment with how things are going for you and how much luck you’re having on the site before you have to truly commit — financially, that is.
While approval on the site is not instant and the month-to-month costs are higher than average once you are approved, you’re in for a strong user experience once you’re in the ranks: a continually improved algorithm guides your matches and incorporates user feedback and behavior, and new features are being added all the time.
Click here to check out Match.com
Hinge
Billing itself as an app that wants you to delete it, Hinge has developed a strong reputation in recent years as a mobile-first dating destination. It boasts a top-of-the-line user interface and design, a sizeable user base and, if you’re in your 20s or 30s and looking for love, should be considered a must (at least for testing it out.)
Free users only get a handful of likes a day, but its algorithm does do a better job of showing you people you’re likely to get along with than Tinder does, and the paid upgrade easily compete’s with Tinder’s as one of the best around.
Click here to check out Hinge
Zoosk
Zoosk was voted the #1 dating site in AskMen’s awards for a reason: it has a large member base and user-friendly mobile app, a layout that’s easy on the eye and simple to navigate, and multiple options for promoting your profile and increasing your chances of getting matches.
You are going to need to do things the old fashioned way and browse profiles one-by-one, but, hey, that might actually be a good thing after the indiscriminate swiping that goes on on Tinder. Zoosk is well worth a try.
Click here to check out Zoosk.com
Bumble
If you’ve heard of Tinder, there’s a decent chance you’ve heard of Bumble too, which has long been billed as the “feminist Tinder,” since its founding premise was that women had to message first once two users matched in order to kick off the convo.
Recognition of queer daters has led to a softening of this stance, but straight guys still have to wait for women to send the first message. Regardless, it remains a solid alternative to Tinder, with a vast user base, uncomplicated UI and generally slightly classier feel than its red-logoed competitor.
Click here to check out Bumble
EliteSingles
Targeting a sophisticated, slightly older market, Elite Singles is the go-to site for serious and professional singles looking for a genuine connection.
The site uses a questionnaire that analyzes 29 character traits and matches you accordingly — there’s a commendable focus on personality rather than looks alone here — and while the signup process is admittedly lengthy, you’ll be browsing comprehensive profiles of women who are serious about dating once you’re in — no time-wasters or ghosters here!
Click here to check out EliteSingles.com
Grindr
The app that started the location-based hookup-centered online dating craze wasn’t Tinder, it was Grindr — an app for helping gay guys find fellow gay guys looking for fun.
If you’ve mostly experienced sex and dating with women but have been feeling curious about what it’d be like to play with another guy, maybe it’s time to try Grindr out. There’s a reason it’s still the No. 1 gay destination after all these years.
Click here to check out Grindr
AdultFriendFinder
On the sexier side, AdultFriendFinder is the go-to avenue if you’re looking to explore your fetishes, or if you’d like to facilitate various sexual arrangements online. It’s a reputable site with a large, loyal, open-minded membership — we’re not talking some sleazy internet corner here — and you can express your sexual self through profiles, blogs, webcams and more.
No one’s 100% sure on the male-to-female ratio (the data isn’t publicly available), but it’s worth checking out if you’re wanting to explore your more primal side in a safe environment.
Check out AdultFriendFinder
Feeld
Originally created as 3nder, a threesome-focused version of Tinder, Feeld has blossomed into perhaps the premier destination for non-monogamous dating online.
It’s still a great place to find people looking for a three-way, but now it’s also a hot spot for finding queer and kinky people looking for any and all kinds of experiences outside of heteronormative monogamy, from vanilla swingers to people seeking their BDSM soulmate, and everything in between.
Check out Feeld
More Tinder Info
Not quite satisfied? No worries! We’ve got more Tinder content for you.
Tinder’s LGBTQ Efforts
The most recent additions to Tinder are designed protect and better include the LGBTQ community (who account for an estimated 24 percent of the U.S. population) in an effort to facilitate the company’s belief that “everyone should be able to love who they want to love.”
ILGA’s executive director, André du Plessis, praised Tinder’s effort, saying, “We work hard to change practices, laws and attitudes that put LGBTQ people at risk — including the use of dating apps to target our community — but in the meantime, the safety of our communities also depends on supporting their digital safety.” The following are Tinder’s efforts to support and protect the LGBT community.
Orientation
Tinder partnered with GLAAD to allow users to select and display their sexual orientation on their profiles. To make the designation, simply edit your profile, tap “Orientation” and select the identity that best suits you. By visiting your Discovery Preferences, you can view people of your same orientation first.
Traveler Alert
As an added precautionary measure, Tinder worked with ILGA World to introduce what they’ve dubbed a Traveler Alert that will appear when Tinder is opened in one of the 69 countries where same-sex relationships are illegal. (FYI: In nine countries, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, prosecutors can seek the death penalty against same-sex acts and relationships.) This feature protects users from unknowingly placing themselves in a potentially dangerous circumstance. With Traveler Alert, queer people will not appear on Tinder when they open the app in these areas. Once the alert is activated, users will have the choice to remain hidden or opt into making their profile public — without information indicating their sexuality — so that they can connect with new people. Users’ profiles will return back to normal once they leave a protected area.
How Tinder Works
Considering it’s an app people use in order to potentially meet the love of their life, people are very curious about how exactly Tinder works.
The app’s user interface is more complicated now than when it was first launched, but the essential principle remains the same: Swipe left on profiles you’re not interested in, right on profiles you are and you chat with your matches when both of you indicate interest.
But how, you might be wondering, does Tinder decide who to show to whom, and in what order? That’s the real question at the heart of how Tinder works.
The answer, similar to almost every app out there today, is a proprietary algorithm whose exact details are secret to the general public. However, we do know a few things about how the Tinder algorithm works.
The Old Model
A 2016 article revealed that at the time, Tinder used a ranking algorithm to assign each user a score based on how people swipe on them — the more left swipes you get, the lower your score goes; the more right swipes, the higher your score rises.
However, it wasn’t as simple as simply adding or subtracting one point every time someone swipes right or left on you. The algorithm is apparently based on the complex ELO score used to rate chess players, meaning who is swiping is also a factor.
If someone with a high score swiped right on you, you’d be likely to jump higher than if someone with a low score swiped right on you. Similarly, a high score swiping left on you would drop you further than a low score swiping left on you.
In this way, people who got a lot of right swipes — the Tinder elite, if you will — had a greater impact on people’s scores than people most people aren’t crazy about.
The New Model
However, in 2019, Tinder announced that they had moved away from the ranking model in favor of something that tracks your like patterns to get an idea of what type of person each user is interested in.
As well, Tinder keeps track of things like how much time you spend on the app, how often you return to it and what percentage of swipes are right vs. left in order to develop a profile of what type of user you are, which it uses to construct your user experience — who you see, and in what order.
In short, nothing you do when on the app seems to go unnoticed. The app knows that data analytics is key to producing a more streamlined product, and they’re not shy about using it. Next time you see someone’s profile pop up, know that they’re being put there according to a very complex set of calculations.
Whether those calculations will lead to anything more, though? That’s a whole other layer of complexity that even Tinder’s data analysts can’t accurately predict. The only way to find out is to swipe right and see if you match.
Tinder & User Safety
Tinder’s become the go-to online dating platform for American singles for since its introduction back in 2012, but the unfortunate reality is that sometimes it helps put people with hurtful intentions in touch with vulnerable (or just inconsiderate people in touch with, well, anyone).
In recent years, the app has rolled out a handful of useful features to improve people’s experience when using it. These include things like:
Noonlight
Tinder has recognized that it has a role to play in making sure a Tinder date doesn’t go south in a horrible way. Partnering with a service called Noonlight, the app is giving its users the opportunity to notify others when they’re going on a date, when and where it’s going to be and an option to quickly alert authorities if they begin to feel unsafe.
Photo Verification
Like many contemporary apps, Tinder now uses a photo-verification system to help weed out catfishing. Users can now verify their profiles by taking a real-time photo, and Tinder’s internal software will attempt to match it to your existing, uploaded profile pictures. If the pictures you uploaded and the new, candid picture you took are judged to be of the same person, you’ll get a little checkmark icon next to your name in the app.
It’s a little detail that can help ensure that you don’t end up getting scammed by someone who looks nothing like their picture. However, this functionality won’t be necessary for all users, so people without check marks might be fakers (or they might just be lazy).
Improved Messaging
Tinder has introduced another feature aimed at improving the general tone of discourse in chats between matches.
While it takes two right swipes to create a conversation, that’s no guarantee of conversational compatibility, sadly, and Tinder’s been dogged for years with a reputation for fostering unfriendly and sometimes downright abusive conversations. In fact, it’s an aspect of the app that’s only contributed to Bumble’s success as a Tinder-like app with a vastly different messaging set-up (men can only message a match once the women has sent an opening message).
Now, Tinder attempts to flag unpleasant messages before they’re even sent, asking users if they want to “undo” a message it deems potentially unpleasant. As well, users have the option to report interactions that make them feel uncomfortable.
Safety Center
To round out the suite of safety-oriented additions and updates to the app, Tinder has added a “Safety Center” to the app, where you can go to discover handy additional resources on dating safety.
This might not sound like a huge deal, but easy access to crucial, potentially life-saving information and hotlines that pertain to sex and dating will now be much closer at hand, which could make a huge difference for some users who might not otherwise seek it out.
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