The Most Popular Dating App
75 Million Active Users Worldwide
65% Male | 35% Female
In many ways, Tinder feels synonymous with the online dating industry. Founded in 2012 by Sean Rad, Tinder became a cultural phenomenon with users “swiping right” to show interest in a potential match or “swiping left” to move briskly on. This method turned meme was so popular that it was co-opted by dozens of other dating sites since. However, as the originator, only two years after launch, Tinder marked one billion daily “swipes,” firmly establishing itself as a leader in the market.
Over a decade has passed since Tinder launched, and a number of other online dating app competitors have flooded the market. To add to that, many long-standing titans of the industry don’t seem ready to give up the reigns to Tinder just yet. With so much competition out there requiring constant innovation on part of these numerous dating sites, can Tinder keep up?
We created a profile to find out. Read our review to see if Tinder is still the best online dating app around or if it’s been dethroned by the many competitors vying for its place.
Easy to use interface
Tons of singles near you
Solid free membership option
Limited swipes for free members
Not solely for hookups
Per month: $39.99
Total: $39.99
Per month: $20.00
Total: $119.99
Per month: $12.50
Total: $149.99
The process to sign-up for Tinder is as streamlined as possible. Once you download the app, you provide your phone number or email to receive a verification code. After that, it’s just about adding your gender identity, interest, profile picture, name, and birthday. There is an option to link through social apps like Facebook, but it’s not mandatory. If it is chosen, however, the sign-up is even faster.
After you sign up for Tinder, you’re really unleashed on the app. That said, it’s important to note that with the free version, your ability to swipe is greatly limited. However, you can at least get an immediate feel for how the site works. It’s as simple and straightforward as the sign-up.
Members are absolutely where Tinder shines. In ten years, the app has recorded 65 billion matches. Of the active members, there are currently well over 10 million in the US alone, and 8 million of those members are active weekly. That is something to note about Tinder – if you have it downloaded, you’re likely swiping. Much like social media, there are countless articles fawning over swipe addiction.
In that way, the site has been lambasted for being superficial. To concede the point, Tinder does invite people to make snap judgments. As you get used to the flow of the site, a picture is what initially grabs your attention – only after that do you investigate the profile further for details on the potential match. Because of that, using the site does encourage a bit of superficiality.
However, even though it has been promoted as exclusively a hook-up site, its popularity and accessibility have made it an outlet for anyone looking to online date. Because of that, numerous users are looking for long-term relationships too.
One final thing to note about Tinder’s member structure is the split between men and women, with 35% identifying as women and 65% as men. Among those, there is a variety of interests and inclusion.
The matching process on Tinder is one of the most well-known processes for an online dating app in the world. When you load up the app, you’ll be directed to start swiping. If you’re uninterested in the potential match, you swipe left. If you’re interested, you swipe right.
This simple system can seem more advanced as a matching algorithm, but it’s predominantly location-based. However, there are differences in your ability to swipe depending on whether you are a free or Gold, Plus, or Platinum user.
– Free App
– Seamless Registration
– Ability to Swipe Left
– Profile Picture Add On
– Location-Based Matching
– Daily ‘Superlike’
– Instant Match
– Unlimited Likes & Swipe Rights
– High Ranking & See Who Swiped Right
– Worldwide Userbase Access
– Swipe ‘Rewind’
– Favorites List
The majority of communication on Tinder revolves around the tried-and-true method of messaging. On a practical end, this is where relationships grow. On a cultural end, sliding into DMs can often result in a lot of cheesy one-liners and casual conversations that do not always serve the end goal of a relationship.
That said, the key to messaging on Tinder is the key to the entire app – you can only message those you match with. In other words, you both have to swipe right to open the door for communication. Past that, there are options for video chat beyond just instant messaging. This helps Tinder stay modern while giving users access to almost everything a smartphone user would want.
Another important thing to note about contact is that users can stop communication with another user at any point by unmatching yourself from them. Once that happens, you once more close the door to communication. This can be beneficial because the popularity of Tinder has also made it prey to many spam or bot accounts – even with the verification process.
Although Tinder is the most popular dating app around, it also has a desktop version with Tinder Online. This version has all the app’s features down to swiping left and right. It also has the added feature of viewing your match’s profile simultaneously as you chat.
Not to put this phrase lightly, Tinder revolutionized the online dating world. Its accessibility, ease of use, inclusivity, and mass appeal influenced multiple generations of online daters and still impacts the market today. However, Tinder is not only a cultural touchstone but also a fully realized app designed to help the modern single make a connection.
In some ways, the Tinder swipe can be superficial. In other ways, it can be the ultimate path to a potential partner or hook-up – one only unlocked by taking the chance and swiping right. If you’re new to online dating, or even if you’ve tried it before, Tinder has maintained popularity for a reason, and even if it doesn’t come up with a good match every time – the swiping journey is still fun!