Product launches, AI features and the technology behind dating apps.
Meta's Threads launched Dear Algo on 11 February, letting users publicly request three-day feed changes in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Meta has relaunched animated Facebook profile pictures, generated by Meta AI from a static photo, raising trust questions for dating apps.
Bluesky launched drafts in February 2026 and has 42 million sign-ups, but it has not disclosed monthly or daily active users.
Snapchat's Super Bowl LX second-screen strategy offers dating apps lessons, as Match Group reported an 8% year-on-year drop in session times in Q4 2025.
Hinge will test Face Check facial recognition in Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Canada this quarter, plus a Direct to Date feature in spring 2026.
Three Day Rule relaunched in 2025 as an AI-powered dating app, and users report identical AI-generated opening messages, according to The Tech Buzz.
HubPeople has migrated dating apps Say Allo and DiHola onto its white-label Affinity platform, replacing their entire technical infrastructure.
Instagram is developing a way for users to remove themselves from others' Close Friends lists, per code found by Alessandro Paluzzi.
Reddit has expanded beta access to Reminder Ads, letting advertisers send opt-in push notifications and inbox messages to users.
BLK's seven-step guide tells users to cap app time at two-hour windows and keep to three conversations, with survey data from 4,000+ BLK users.
Forbes Health's 2025 survey found 78% of dating app users report burnout, and singles are now tracking dates in spreadsheets and the Spread app.
Spotify has added group messaging for up to 10 users, which could reduce the need for dating apps like Tinder, where music matching is a core feature.
UpScrolled logged 41,000 installs in late January 2026 amid TikTok suppression allegations, a trust warning for dating apps with opaque algorithms.
X has announced Starterpacks, company-curated account lists, while Bluesky's version is user-created. Categories include Politics and Health & Fitness.
Pinterest's new Media Planner adds forecasting to Ads Manager for awareness campaigns, but dating operators report weaker signal quality than on Meta.
ZipHealth has launched an intimacy quiz for couples after surveying 1,000 Americans, over 40% of whom fear boundary talks may disappoint partners.
TikTok added creative preview, bulk editing and Auto-select to Smart+ ad campaigns, letting dating advertisers review all creative variations before launch.
Dua.com is removing swiping in Version 5.0 of its Albanian diaspora dating app, adding mandatory liveness verification and inactive profile purges.
Match Group and Bumble are expanding AI matchmaking as their paying user counts stagnate or decline despite higher pricing.
TikTok Shop has launched three AI tools for video, dubbing and listings, which could cut costs for dating advertisers but may dilute authentic content.
TikTok's 2026 trend report names three trends: 'Reali-TEA', 'Curiosity Detours' and 'Emotional ROI'. Smaller niche dating apps may gain over Match and Bumble.
Reddit says its AI Max campaigns cut user acquisition costs by 17% in alpha tests, but dating apps should test before moving budgets.
A creator with 500,000 followers might now reach 12,000 people per post as algorithms replace follower counts, affecting dating app influencer marketing.
Vietnamese dating app Hullo has announced an AI matchmaking system backed by Nvidia, AWS and Google, but has not disclosed models or match quality data.
LinkedIn has passed 100 million verified users and launched a Verification API that lets other platforms authenticate users against them.
Hinge's new Convo Starters feature uses generative AI to write personalised first messages for users based on match profiles.
Hily won a Red Dot Award for its 2024 rebrand, which centres on less polished profiles, but its announcement details no product changes.
Date Draft plans a January 2026 launch with a 'Trade Room' where users pass on unwanted matches; no research is cited for its founder's claim.
Meta says more than half of Instagram time is now in Reels, pushing dating apps to swap static ads for video or face higher CAC.
Meta is making Advantage+ automated ads the default for all advertisers, removing manual targeting as standard, which affects dating apps.
Digital Dudes moved its 29 regional UK dating brands to HubPeople's Affinity platform, reporting conversion rises exceeding 80 per cent.
The Weekend Club says it has run 10,000 AI-matched brunch tables in six cities, with dynamic pricing based on attendance history and no-show risk.
Higo has launched profile verification and a celebrity look-alike feature, branded 'Authentic-First Matching', without disclosing user numbers.
Happn has launched AI venue recommendations in chat in France, Brazil, Turkey and the Netherlands, to help matched users turn matches into first dates.
X has made end-to-end encrypted DMs, video calls and disappearing messages free for all users, adding a new off-platform route for dating app chats.
Pop the Balloon or Find Love, a YouTube dating show, has launched a dating app with its cast members, testing whether spectacle can keep users.
Gen Z daters are rejecting compatibility vetting for 'vibe dating', which threatens the algorithmic matching model of Match Group and Bumble.
Tinder is testing camera roll AI in Australia and New Zealand, a pilot Match Group says costs about $14 million in foregone revenue.
Nexuus launches in mid-November as India's first AI voice-based dating app. It claims vocal analysis predicts compatibility but has published no validation.
Bharat Matrimony has invested $500,000 in AI startup Ask My Guru to add Vedic astrology compatibility to its matchmaking engine, regulatory filings show.
London dating app Sonder has replaced text prompts with visual mood boards and has no subscription tiers, but has not disclosed how it will earn money.
Plenty of Fish says 42% of UK singles now combine first dates with errands like grocery shopping, a trend it calls "choremancing", in its annual trends report.
Breeze has added sign language matching, letting users specify BSL, ASL, Auslan and others, which Match Group and Bumble do not offer as a filter.
Gaydar has migrated to HubPeople's white-label infrastructure, and says it ended six-figure annual tech costs and gained 4× return on ad spend.
Dating app Ailo launched AI-powered matching with a claimed 70% compatibility minimum, but has not disclosed its methodology.
Meta has launched an AI chatbot assistant and weekly algorithmic matches for Facebook Dating in the US and Canada, with no disclosed monetisation path.
Dateability has launched Version 2.0 of its accessibility-focused dating app and reports 10x user growth since its 2022 launch.
Grindr replaced notification sounds for 3.9 million daily active users with a Christina Aguilera song, with no opt-out beyond muting notifications.
Miami dating app Ailo has launched an AI matching algorithm designed by founder Dani Geary, who claims 20 years of matchmaking experience.
Orra, a dating app with anonymous profiles until mutual interest, launches in beta this week in Salt Lake City without disclosing how its matching works.
Technology & AI covers what dating apps build: new features, AI matchmaking and assistants, safety and verification tools, moderation, and the suppliers behind them. DII asks of each launch whether it solves a real problem for members and how it compares with what rivals already offer, and links to the company's own announcement.