Category: Hinge

Hinge CEO Jackie Jantos on Dating and AI Replacing Human Connection

Posted on March 27, 2026
Hinge Jackie Jantos

NEWSWEEK –  Jackie Jantos says AI is increasingly replacing small, vulnerable conversations that build real relationships, as young people use tools like ChatGPT instead of turning to friends. She points to declining in-person interaction among Gen Z and argues that technology removes the “messiness” needed for intimacy. While AI can mimic empathy and conversation, it lacks real reciprocity and shared experience. At Hinge, Jantos is focusing on intentional friction, real-world connection, and product design that pushes users toward actual relationships rather than more time on the app.

See full article at Newsweek

Hinge’s Algorithm Doesn’t Judge on Attractiveness

Posted on March 10, 2026
Hinge Jackie Jantos

FINANCIAL TIMES – Since 2021, Hinge’s MAU have doubled from 4.8M to 11.8M (Sensor Tower), while Tinder went from 65M to 51M. Jackie Jantos played a pivotal role, as Hinge’s CMO for 4 years before becoming CEO in December. “Prompts” – short notes that users write on profiles to share their interests and spark conversation – and emphasis on chat over simply responding to photos boosted its success. Does the algorithm rate users’ attractiveness? “No,” Jantos says. “We are trying to find who you might like and who might like you. The algorithm has the information around the individuals who you’ve liked and it also sees signals around content that you’ve liked.” Revenue per payer on Hinge was $31.97/month in 2025. Paying users increased to 1.8M at the end of 2025. Jantos says maintaining the “free experience”, which gives users eight likes a day, was “sacred.”

See full article at Financial Times

The Impact of AI in the Online Dating Industry

Posted on March 9, 2026
AI in online dating

BESTAIFOR.COM – Tinder’s Face Check reduced user exposure to bad actors by 60%+, according to their Oct. ’25 press release. The FTC reported U.S. romance scam losses reached $1.1B in 2023. OkCupid found that 70% of users view AI-generated profiles or messages as a violation of trust. AI enables recommendation engines. Safety tooling came second i.e. nudity filters, scam detection, identity checks. Now AI is helping users craft profiles and messages.

Does this translate to better long-term relationships. Harvard Data Science Review frames the tension: platforms optimize for behavioral signals – likes, messages, return sessions – not for relationship success. Hinge launched Prompt Feedback in Jan ’25, an AI coach that reviews your written answers to profile prompts and gives feedback. Bumble followed in Feb ’26 with Profile Guidance and Photo Feedback. OkCupid now uses OpenAI to generate new matching questions. 

Online dating has moved toward ‘scoped assist.’ Hinge’s Convo Starters, launched Dec. ’25, gives AI-generated tips tied to a specific photo or prompt the other person posted. Grindr is testing Wingman, for profile crafting and conversation starters.

– Daniele Antoniani worked for Badoo 2005-2008 and is a long term team member on the Courtland Brooks team, since 2013. 

See full article at BestAIFor.com

Hinge Alumni Raise $8.5M to Launch Rodeo, an App Turning Social Media Into Real-World Plans

Posted on March 4, 2026
Rodeo app

FORBES – Former Hinge executives Sam Levy and Tim MacGougan have raised $8.5M in seed funding to launch Rodeo, an app designed to turn social media content into real-world plans. The app extracts details from links or screenshots, such as restaurant addresses or ticket information, and converts them into shareable calendar holds to help users make plans with friends. After a 20,000-user beta, Rodeo secured backing from Foundry, 359 Capital, and Oceans, and has grown through TikTok-driven marketing and creator partnerships. The company is not yet generating revenue but is exploring future monetization through partnerships with platforms like Ticketmaster and OpenTable or a potential freemium model.

See full article at Forbes

Mark Brooks on the Dating App Business Model and AI’s Role in Matchmaking

Posted on February 16, 2026
Mark Brooks

REUTERS – Reuters’ Econ World podcast interviews dating-industry consultant Mark Brooks about how dating apps actually make money despite losing users when matches succeed. He explains the evolution from Match.com search-based dating to Tinder’s swipe gamification, the freemium-to-subscription model, and why apps aim for users to stay around three months before pairing off. Major players include Match Group (Tinder, Hinge, Match), Bumble and Grindr. The industry grew during COVID, now faces payment reluctance and privacy concerns from Gen Z, and is shifting toward more meaningful matching and niche communities. Brooks says AI will help verify users, improve profiles and eventually predict compatibility and support relationships, not just create matches.

Listen to the podcast at Reuters

Hinge Tests Facial Recognition Scans

Posted on February 6, 2026
Hinge verified badge

MASHABLE – Hinge is testing Face Check (facial recognition) in Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Canada, with U.S. testing expected soon. The test was disclosed by Match Group during its Q4 2025 earnings call. Tinder already requires Face Check for all new U.S. users and plans a global rollout by end of Q1 2026. Match Group says Face Check has cut interactions with bad actors by 50%+ where implemented. Hinge is also piloting Direct to Date, a feature designed to speed up real-world meetups by letting matches share availability and preferred date activities. Testing is planned for spring.

See full article at Mashable

Match Group Q4 and Full-Year Results

Posted on February 4, 2026
Logo of Match Group featuring stylized initials 'iG' in blue and green, alongside the text 'Match Group' in dark purple.

PRESS RELEASE – Match Group reported Q4 and full-year 2025 results showing stable revenue, stronger profitability, and early signs of improved engagement from product changes.

Full year 2025: Revenue $3.5B (flat Y/Y); Net income $613M (+11%); Adjusted EBITDA $1.2B (35% margin). Payers declined 5% Y/Y, offset by higher revenue per payer.

Q4 2025: Revenue $878M (+2%); Net income $210M (+32%); Adjusted EBITDA $370M (+14%, 42% margin).

Tinder: Engagement improved; Sparks Coverage up 4% Y/Y in December (the number of users engaging in six-way conversations). Face Check reduced bad-actor interactions by 50%+. MAU trends improved in Australia.
Hinge: Direct revenue up 26% Y/Y in Q4; MAU up nearly 50% in European expansion markets; strong momentum in Europe and Latin America.

Outlook: 2026 revenue expected to be roughly flat, with higher EBITDA margins and strong free cash flow.The company emphasized a product-led strategy focused on match quality, safety, and real-world outcomes.

See full article at ir.Match.com

ShinyHunters Claims Leak of 10M+ User Records From Match Group Dating Apps

Posted on January 29, 2026
Match Group got hacked

PROTOS – The hacking group ShinyHunters claims it has leaked ~10M user records from Match Group dating apps including Hinge, Match, and OKCupid. The data reportedly includes user IDs, IP addresses, match data, subscription identifiers, and some internal company records, and may have been obtained via the mobile analytics platform AppsFlyer. Researchers say the leak contains limited direct personal details but could still be used for highly targeted scams and fraud. ShinyHunters is known for extortion attempts, having previously forced AT&T to pay a bitcoin ransom, and has recently claimed other large-scale data leaks.

See full article at Protos

Top Dating Apps by Press Coverage in 2025

Posted on January 15, 2026
Top Dating Apps by Press Coverage in 2025

OPW – In 2025, we selected and summarized over 600 of the top news items mentioning 212 companies from the online dating industry. Tinder took the top spot, followed by Match Group and Hinge. Here’s the full list of dating companies that received the most press coverage last year:

1. Tinder – CEO Faye Iosotaluno was replaced by Spencer Rascoff who took over the brand in an attempt to reinvent it for Gen Z through safety tools, AI, and product experiments.
2. Match Group – hired a new CEO, Spencer Rascoff, but lost several long term C-level execs, acquired Her and Salams, and pivoted to AI and emerging markets.
3. Hinge – reached 15 MAU worldwide, launched in Mexico and Brazil and also launched new features, but ended the year with it’s founder and CEO Justin McLeod stepping down, being succeeded by the CMO, Jackie Jantos.
4. Grindr – saw a year of growth, with numerous new features launched, mostly AI and safety oriented. At the end of the year, he company experienced a buyout attempt, which ultimately failed due to financing uncertainty.
5. Bumble – Whitney Wolfe Herd returned as a CEO in an attempt to revive the company which lost over 90% of it’s market value in the last 4 years. The company announced major layoffs and shut down two previously acquired apps, Fruitz and Official. It launched Bumble BFF as a standalone app.
6. Happn – was acquired by Hello Group, introduced flexible relationship options, and launched AI powered “Perfect Date” tool.
7. Matrimony.com – invested in AI in and attempt to boost the growth, however later financial results showed rising costs and a year-on-year profit decline in Q2 FY2026. In December, the company announced a share buyback.
8. Three Day Rule – launched a “$1 Million Matchmaking” service, secured an investment from Palm Venture Studios. Later in the year, it introduced Tai, an AI-powered matchmaking app.
9.-10. Chapter2, Match.com, OkCupid, Sitch, Tea
Chapter 2 acquired M14 white label dating platform last year. Match.com released another Singles in America study in June. OkCupid was usually mentioned alongside other Match Group’s app and we also used several of OKCupid’s studies for posts last year. Sitch raised $6.7M and announced the U.S. expansion. Tea was first mentioned as a fast growing app that should help women spot red flags before a first date, but their news coverage quickly turned to negative with two hacks that exposed user data. In October, the app was removed from AppStore by Apple.

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