Category: Outlets – Mashable

Tinder Requires Facial Scan for New UK Users

Posted on March 27, 2026
Tinder Face Check

MASHABLE – New Tinder users in the UK must complete a facial scan to sign up, using a feature called Face Check. Users take a video selfie, which is checked against their profile photos and used to detect duplicate accounts, after which they receive a verification badge. The requirement is already in place in the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, and other regions. The rollout follows earlier verification steps, including photo, video, and ID checks, and aligns with new UK regulations such as the Online Safety Act.

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CasualX Is a No-Strings-Attached Hookup App

Posted on February 16, 2026
CasualX

MASHABLE – CasualX is a dating app focused exclusively on casual, no-strings-attached encounters, positioning itself as an alternative to platforms where users seek serious relationships. It offers standard swiping and a social “moments” feed, manual profile review to reduce fakes, and privacy features like private albums and app locks. The app targets users looking for hookups or friends-with-benefits and gained early traction with tens of thousands of users and high daily match activity.

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Top Challenges for Online Daters, According to Coffee Meets Bagel

Posted on December 18, 2025
Coffee Meets Bagel logo

MASHABLE – Coffee Meets Bagel’s 2025 Dating Realness Report, based on a survey of 1K U.S. daters aged 21–35, finds that most people are serious about relationships. 61% want a spouse and 31% want a long-term partner, but 93% say dating is difficult. The biggest pain points are endless swiping (54%), ghosting or unmatching (47%), and not knowing how to start conversations (43%). 80% are comfortable with AI helping with dating tasks, but 65% would be less likely to engage with someone if they knew that person used AI to write their profile or messages. Emotional connection is a must for 73%, ahead of physical attraction (63%), shared values (59%), and ambition (57%). 

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HER’s New ‘Feelings’ Feature Makes Intros Less Awkward

Posted on August 5, 2025
A mobile phone displaying a dating app profile, featuring a user's photo and interactive status tags like 'Chaotic' and 'Yearning' on a colorful gradient background.

MASHABLE – In May, Match Group acquired HER, a dating app for queer women, nonbinary, and trans sapphics. While things have been relatively quiet since the buy-out, HER did roll out a new feature this summer called “Feelings”, which are short-term status tags like “Flirty” or “Go on a date” that appear across profiles, chats, and matches. Users can select up to three tags, each with optional notes, and these expire after 48 hours. The goal is to reduce awkward intros, clarify intentions, and make conversations feel more natural.

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Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

Grindr Bans ‘No Zionists’ in Bios, But Still Allows Racist and Fatphobic Language

Posted on July 29, 2025

Grindr pic1MASHABLE – Grindr now blocks users from writing "no Zionists" in their bios, showing an error message if they try. But phrases like "no fats," "no Asians," "no Blacks," and "no Jews" are still allowed. This has raised questions about why some language is flagged while other, clearly exclusionary, terms are not. Grindr says it made the change after user complaints and is reviewing its policies. The platform has faced similar criticism before – in 2020, it promised to remove ethnicity filters but left them live for weeks.

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Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

Dating Apps to Add Age Checks in the UK

Posted on July 24, 2025

Age verification is comingMASHABLE – Starting July 25, dating apps in the UK must implement age verification under the Online Safety Act. Feeld will use Yoti to confirm user age via phone number or selfie, without storing personal data. Tinder will require a clear face photo and may request ID if age can't be verified. Bumble says it already enforces strict age checks and uses selfie and ID verification. Hinge will scan a face photo to confirm users are 18+, storing it for up to three months, with results kept for a year. Rollouts in the U.S. and EU may follow based on regional laws.

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Bumble Launches In-app Advice Hub for Daters

Posted on July 23, 2025
Screenshots of Bumble's in-app dating advice hub showcasing different features, including video and article recommendations on dating topics, along with a dating expert providing advice.

MASHABLE – Bumble launches an in-app dating advice hub with content from dating and relationship experts. Themes include being yourself on the app, moving from the app to IRL, self-love, first dates, and connecting with others. Bumble’s press release states that this “marks a broader evolution in Bumble’s approach, blending technology with human insight.”

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Archer Users Prioritise Relationships Over Hookups, Survey Finds

Posted on July 3, 2025

Archer logoMASHABLE – A new report from dating app Archer shows a shift in gay dating trends, with users nearly six times more likely to seek long-term relationships than hookups. The app, launched in 2023 by Match Group, offers features like "Looking For Modes" and conversation prompts to clarify user intent. With 685,000 downloads as of May 2024, Archer positions itself as an alternative to hookup-focused platforms, as more gay men report valuing emotional connection and communication over casual encounters.

by Tabitha Britt
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Singles Using AI up 300% YOY, Says Match

Posted on June 11, 2025

Match Singles in America 2025MASHABLE – Singles increasingly rely on AI in dating, with usage rising 333% from last year, according to Match's Singles in America study (surveying ~5K U.S. singles). ~26% of singles now use AI to improve their dating profiles, messages, and compatibility screening, particularly among Gen Z, where nearly half already use AI. However, many singles consider it unacceptable to use AI to alter photos (44%) or generate conversations (36%). 16% of singles have had AI romantic companions (33% Gen Z, 23% millennials).

by Anna Iovine
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Tinder Taps Into Tarot, Zodiac, and Pets to Attract Gen Z Daters

Posted on May 16, 2025

TinderMASHABLE – Tinder is embracing Gen Z's growing interest in spiritual compatibility, with features centered on astrology, tarot, and even pets. A survey shows 30% of Gen Z and Millennials check zodiac signs before dating, and 16% use tarot cards for romantic guidance. Pet references in Tinder bios are also rising, with 1 in 5 singles globally creating vision boards inspired by their pets.

by Priya Singh
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