Category: Outlets – Tech Crunch

Tinder Tests AI “Chemistry” Feature That Reads Camera Roll to Personalize Matches

Posted on November 6, 2025
Tinder app icon

TECH CRUNCH – Tinder is testing an AI feature called Chemistry that learns about users through questions and, with permission, analyzes Camera Roll photos to better understand their interests and personality. Currently piloted in New Zealand and Australia, it will be a key part of Tinder’s 2026 product update, according to CEO Spencer Rascoff. Alongside AI, Tinder is adding new features like dating modes, double dates, facial verification, and redesigned profiles to boost engagement after nine consecutive quarters of subscriber decline.

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Facebook Dating Surpasses 21M Daily Users as Young Singles Take Notice

Posted on November 4, 2025
Close-up of a smartphone displaying the Facebook Dating logo with a heart symbol.

TECH CRUNCH – Facebook Dating, launched in 2019, actually has a sizable user base. Meta reports 21.5M daily active users across 52 countries. The in-app feature, not a standalone product, is gaining traction among younger users, with 1.77M aged 18–29 in the U.S. Facebook has publicly addressed the fact that it struggles to keep Gen Z and young millennials on the platform, yet the company said last year that daily conversations on Facebook Dating in the 18-29 demographic spiked 24%. Facebook Dating remains free, relying on data monetization.

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Tinder Will Require New Users in the US to Verify Their Identity With a Selfie

Posted on October 23, 2025
Tinder selfie verification

TECH CRUNCH – Tinder is expanding its Face Check facial verification feature across the U.S. to combat fake profiles and improve user safety. The tool requires new users to submit a short video selfie, creating a 3D face scan to confirm identity and prevent duplicate accounts. Verified users receive a badge, and Tinder retains an encrypted “face map” for ongoing fraud detection. Already active in California, Canada, Colombia, Australia, India, and parts of Southeast Asia, Face Check will reach more U.S. states soon and other Match Group apps in 2026. Early results show a 60% drop in exposure to “bad actors” and 40% fewer reports.

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Dating App Cerca Will Show How Gen Z Dates at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Posted on October 13, 2025
Cerca dating app

TECH CRUNCH – Cerca is a new dating app built for Gen Z. It connects people through mutual friends instead of random strangers and limits users to four daily swipes to make choices more deliberate. Likes stay anonymous until both people match, and profiles show mutual connections first to improve safety. The app has around 60,000 users, raised $1.6M in seed funding, and will present its concept at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in San Francisco.

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Hinge Is Taking a Fairer Approach to Account Banning

Posted on September 30, 2025
Screenshots of Hinge app displaying notifications about removed content from a user's profile due to guideline violations

TECH CRUNCH – Hinge has updated its moderation policy to be less punitive. Instead of banning entire accounts for a single violation, the platform will now flag the specific issue, hide the profile from discovery until it’s corrected, and notify the user with clear instructions. Accounts with repeated or severe violations will still face permanent bans.

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TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: AI, Dating, and Digital Companionship

Posted on September 26, 2025
Tech Crunch Disrupt

TECH CRUNCH – TechCrunch Disrupt (Oct 27–29, 2025, Moscone West, SF) will host a panel on AI and modern relationships featuring Eugenia Kuyda (Replika), Mark Kantor (Tinder), and Dr. Amanda Gesselman (Kinsey Institute). They’ll examine how recommendation engines shape dating, the psychology of AI companionship, what’s gained/lost when intimacy is optimized, and key ethical risks. Early registration savings (up to $668) end Sept 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Tinder Evolves Some Features Into Dating ‘Modes’

Posted on September 10, 2025
A mobile app interface displaying profiles of three users: Jace, Danny, and Nancy. Each profile includes a photo, name, age, and a brief description of the individual. The app layout features options for navigation at the top and buttons for interaction at the bottom.

TECH CRUNCH – Tinder is rolling out new “modes” to refresh its app and keep users engaged. Double Date, first launched in June, is now expanding worldwide and has already led to 25% more messages per match compared to one-on-one chats. College Mode, building on Tinder U, will allow students to connect with others beyond their own campus and is set to launch later this autumn. Alongside these, the app’s home screen introduces a “For You” mode that preserves the classic Tinder experience, while the company prepares more modes focused on interests, intentions, and different ways of connecting. Match Group highlighted these developments during its Q2 2025 earnings call, signaling a push to adapt to Gen Z’s preference for low-pressure, flexible ways of meeting new people.

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Match Flat at $864M for Q2, Tinder Redesign Adds Dating Modes

Posted on August 7, 2025
Three smartphone screens displaying the Tinder app. The left screen showcases a 'Double Date' feature, inviting friends to join. The middle screen features profiles of two users, Jace and Danny, with profile pictures and interests. The right screen shows a chat interface with messages exchanged between the matched users.

TECH CRUNCH – CEO Spencer Rascoff said Tinder will debut “modes,” which will allow users to switch between different dating goals. A broader redesign will include features aimed at college students. Another new feature allows users to like specific parts of a profile and start conversations based on those likes, similar to Hinge. Q2 revenue was flat at $864M and earnings declined from $133M year-over-year to $122M. A better-than-expected Q3 outlook forecast revenue of $910-920M. Match will invest $50M in product development and experiment with AI matching on Tinder, which it debuted in New Zealand earlier this year with matches based on info from profiles and insights from camera roll photos. Tinder’s Double Date option, launched in June, lets users pair up with a friend to match with another couple.

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Mark Brooks: The $50M in AI product development is the real news here. Match has the pockets to really deliver on AI-based disruption and meaningful product improvements.

Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

TeaOnHer Is for Men, And Is Leaking Users Personal Data

Posted on August 7, 2025

TeaOnHerTECH CRUNCH – TeaOnHer launched in the Apple app store this week and is an app designed for men to share photos and information about women they have supposedly dated. It has exposed users' personal information, IDs, and selfies, TechCrunch confirmed. TeaOnHer is a response to the app 'Tea' (6m users) that allows women to post about the men they date. Tea had a data breach with 72k images, selfies, IDs, and also 1M private messages. TeaOnHer now ranks No.2 in Lifestyle apps on iOS.

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Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

The Best Dating Apps Aren’t Even Dating Apps

Posted on August 4, 2025

Facebook groupTECH CRUNCH – People are increasingly meeting partners on platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook meme groups, not dating apps. These spaces allow for organic interaction based on shared interests, often leading to deeper connections. Users already know each other's humor, values, and quirks before any romantic intent. Unlike dating apps, where interactions can feel forced or transactional, these platforms offer a slower, more natural build-up.

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Curated by the Courtland Brooks team