Tinder to introduce a ‘possibly’ swipe option to reflect changing dating habits in the pandemic
The CEO of Tinder has said the app’s trademarked “swipe left” and “swipe right” match-making method was no longer working for people who have become accustomed to dating in lockdown.
As virtual dating became more common for single people during lockdown, Jim Lanzone said it observed that people prefer getting to know others better online before deciding to match with them.
In an interview with the BBC, Lanzone said the dating app will roll out new changes that feature more “holistic” profiles and will allow users to “swipe possibly”.
Pre-Covid, Tinder users would swipe right or left on the app to match with one another and meet in real life.
But those searching for a date were forced to change the way they met and got to know people when lockdown meant enforced self-isolation and the inability to go out and do normal dating activities.
Lanzone, 50, said people “really leaned into getting to know people virtually, even having relationships virtually” over lockdown.
“The larger trend here is that people on Tinder coming out of Covid… They just want to slow things down and get to know people first a lot more before they decide to match, let alone before they decide to go meet someone offline,” he said.
This preference was especially evident among Generation Z users, who are in their late teens and early 20s. This demographic makes up more than half of Tinder’s user base.
Data from the app suggested that the average number of messages sent every day is up 19 per cent compared to pre-pandemic times and conversations are almost a third (32 per cent) longer.
On top of that, half of Gen Z users have held video chat dates and a third did more virtual activities together, the company found.
It comes as Tinder introduced several new features on Tuesday, including the ability to chat with potential singles for a brief period before making a match for the first time.
Called Hot Takes, the feature will allow users to chat while a timer ticks down, after which they can choose to let it expire or complete the match.
Users will also be able to add video to their profiles as part of the new update, and a new Explore tab will be added to the app to allow daters to find people based on shared interests. The Explore tab is expected to launch later this summer.
Lanzone said the features will provide users with “more tools to show a more multidimensional version of themselves”.
He expects the video feature to appeal more to Gen Z users who “live in video” and will update their profiles often instead of using the same set of videos and pictures.
Data from the app also suggested that younger users value “authenticity” in a partner and are more open about their mental health in their dating profiles.
He declined to comment on Tinder’s reputation as a hook-up app, but said lockdown changed the normal trajectory in which people who met on Tinder would follow.
Prior to the pandemic, people would swipe, match, meet for a date, have a relationship and get married. But now, people are more interested in getting to know someone by messaging and video chat because “you couldn’t meet somebody in real life”.
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