TECH CRUNCH – Hinge launched “Convo Starters,” an AI feature that gives personalized suggestions for how to start a conversation when liking someone’s profile. The tool responds to user complaints about silent likes and boring small talk, and Hinge says daters are twice as likely to get a date when they add a comment. It builds on Hinge’s earlier AI Prompt Feedback feature, though Gen Z remains uneasy about AI in dating. Match Group is investing $20–30M into AI development across its apps.
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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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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TECH CRUNCH – Dating safety app Tea has disabled its direct messaging feature after a second data breach exposed ~1.1M private messages, including sensitive content like phone numbers and discussions about abortions. This follows a prior breach that leaked 72K user images. The company took the system offline as a precaution and stated that the first breach only affected users who joined before Feb 2024. Despite the issues, Tea remains highly popular, ranking #2 on the App Store with an estimated 2M monthly active users.
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TECH CRUNCH – Tinder has introduced a new Double Date feature that lets users team up with friends to match and chat with other pairs. The move aims to reduce dating anxiety and appeal to Gen Z amid falling user engagement and a 5% drop in paid subscribers. Early tests showed higher messaging rates and strong interest from new and returning users. The feature, tested in select regions, will roll out globally in July.
TECH CRUNCH – LoveJack is a new dating app launching next month on iOS in London. Users describe themselves using five words instead of full profiles. To interact, they can either "Bet On" someone by sending a five-word message or "Hold" a profile for later, with a five-match daily limit. Users set a preset goodbye message that's automatically sent when unmatching, to reduce ghosting. Profiles use fake names, but selfie verification is required. Safety features include reporting, blocking, content filtering, and emergency contact options. The app is launching in the USA and India soon.
TECH CRUNCH – Tinder has introduced a new AI-powered game called The Game Game where users can practice flirting by talking to virtual characters. They’ll respond to fun, fake dating scenarios using their voice, and the AI will score their flirting skills and give tips to improve. The game is meant to be fun and light, not serious, and is available for a limited time to iPhone users in the U.S. It’s part of Tinder’s push to add more AI features as it looks for new ways to attract users.
TECH CRUNCH – Bumble has introduced ID verification to boost user safety, allowing daters to authenticate their identity with a government-issued ID and earn a profile badge. Users can now filter matches based on verification status and request verification from potential dates. The feature is live in multiple countries, including the U.S., U.K., and India, with plans for further expansion. Alongside this, Bumble launched “Share Date” for users to share date details with friends, “Review Before You Send” to flag inappropriate messages before sending, and a new “Discover” page to match users by interests. The updates come as Bumble faces declining revenue and rising concerns over AI-generated fake profiles and romance scams.
TECH CRUNCH – Bumble is discontinuing its two acquired apps, the dating and relationship apps Fruitz and Official. The move was shared during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. As explained by CEO Lidiane Jones during the call, the choice to discontinue Fruitz, a French dating app, and Official, an app designed to help couples strengthen their relationships, allows the company to focus on its core businesses, Bumble and Badoo.
TECH CRUNCH – Tinder has updated its Explore page with new categories like “Serious Dater,” “Short-Term Fun,” and “New Friends” to help users find matches based on dating intentions. The change aligns with the trend of “Loud Looking,” where singles are more upfront about what they want. The update, launched just before Valentine’s Day, aims to make matchmaking more transparent while competing with apps like Bumble BFF for social connections.