Product Design Feedback

Posted on August 7, 2026

CourtlandBrooksOPW – We love doing product teardowns. The Courtland Brooks team can look over your app / service and give you feedback on how to improve it. This is how we like to start an engagement these days, as it allows us to get to know our client's product better and add key value quickly. Then from there we can better sense of how we can be of ongoing help, and where the gaps are on your team.

For the price of a marketing manager you can get access to a seasoned team of online dating professionals. See Testimonials here. See pricing and service overview. Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com or simply book an opening call here.

Match Group Reports Improved Tinder Trends and Hinge Growth in Q2 2026

Posted on August 5, 2026
Match Group

MATCH GROUP – Match Group reported signs of recovery at Tinder in Q2, with daily active user declines narrowing to 4%, the best result in ten quarters. Hinge revenue grew 22%, while users increased 13%, supported by expansion into ten new countries; the company still expects Hinge to reach $1B in annual revenue in 2027. Match Group’s total revenue slipped 1% to $853M as payer numbers fell 6%, but net income rose 36% to $171M through lower operating costs.

See full article at Match Group website

Love in the Time of AI: Chatbots Are Taking Over Online Dating

Posted on August 5, 2026
Amata

WALL STREET JOURNAL – New AI dating apps are offering alternatives to swiping. Amata, a chatbot-based matchmaking app, interviews users and charges about $20 to arrange a date, while Known, an AI matchmaking service supported by human matchmakers, recommends compatible partners. Volar, a now-closed AI dating app, previously tested virtual versions of users that went on simulated dates for them. Established platforms are also experimenting with AI: Grindr is developing its gAI assistant, Bumble is testing its Bee matchmaker, and Tinder and Hinge are introducing tools that help users improve profiles and start conversations.

See full article at Wall Street Journal

Tinder Partners With We Met IRL on Singles Events

Posted on August 5, 2026
Tinder Partners With We Met IRL

LINKEDIN – Tinder is partnering with We Met IRL, an events company founded in 2022 that organizes in-person gatherings for singles in New York City, Washington, DC, and other locations. The companies held their first joint event this week as Tinder continues to expand its focus on offline dating experiences.

See full article at LinkedIn

Matchbox Launches Mystery Match Photobooth Stunt in NYC

Posted on August 5, 2026
Mystery Match Photobooth

BUSINESS INSIDER – Matchbox, a dating startup, has partnered with popular social media account Meet Cutes NYC and photobooth vendor Faceplace to launch the Missed Connections Booth in Manhattan. Visitors answer 26 compatibility questions, pay $10, and receive a photo strip showing themselves alongside a mystery match, identified only by a first name and photos. The booth has matched 3,500 people since opening in mid-July and will remain in New York through August, with expansion to other cities under consideration.

See full article at Business Insider

Activity-Based Singles Events Gain Popularity in London

Posted on August 5, 2026
Chicken Rush

CNN – London singles are meeting through activity-based events rather than traditional speed dating. Chicken Rush organizes team races to a secret pub and has built a 3,000-person waiting list. Date Nites runs salsa evenings for singles, with its latest 80-person event selling out. Dinner for One Hundred hosts communal pizza dinners where guests rotate between tables, while Tinder now lists local activities such as trivia nights and ceramics classes through its Events section.

See full article at CNN

Parship Study: Singles Want Financial Stability but Avoid Discussing Money

Posted on August 5, 2026
Parship Study: Singles Want Financial Stability but Avoid Discussing Money

PARSHIP – According to a Parship study, most singles want a financially independent, debt-free partner, with women placing greater importance on financial stability than men. Similar spending habits matter more than earning a similar income. However, only around half disclosed their salary in their last relationship, and one-quarter shared no financial information at all.

Tinder Events Expands to Zurich and Geneva

Posted on August 5, 2026
Tinder logo

WATSON – Tinder is expanding its Events feature to Zurich and Geneva following a 60-event pilot in Los Angeles. Users can discover offline activities, including karaoke, board games, quizzes and painting workshops, directly in the app. Independent event organizers handle the events and ticket sales, while attendees receive a profile badge to help them reconnect afterward. Tinder Events is now available in ten cities and is expected to reach 26 by the end of September.

See full article at Watson

Investors Back Startups Tackling Loneliness and Dating App Fatigue

Posted on August 4, 2026
Gigi icon

NEWS ANYWAY – Business Insider reviewed pitch decks from 18 dating, social networking, and AI startups that raised funding. Gigi raised $8M after pivoting from AI avatars to dating and then professional networking, while Spill opened a crowdfunding round to its users through Wefunder. Investors are backing companies addressing loneliness, dating-app fatigue and professional networking, but remain selective about which businesses can achieve venture-scale growth. Early user traction, clear monetisation and a defensible business model remain important to securing investment.

See full article at News Anyway