Product launches, AI features and the technology behind dating apps.
Hinge CEO Justin McLeod has ruled out AI agents that talk to matches for users, while Grindr and startup Harmonizer move the other way.
Harmonizer launches a U.S. dating app claiming AI compatibility matching from 20,000 couples' data, with no peer-reviewed research apparently backing it.
Hily markets itself as a personality-first alternative to photo swiping, but Hinge, Bumble and Tinder make similar claims, the analysis says.
ARCHER has launched a 'Sober Curious' community feature with Ritual Zero Proof, as 'sober' appears 62% more frequently than 'drinks' in profiles.
Grindr is rolling out AI image verification to catch fake or manipulated profile photos, alongside AI-based photo enhancement suggestions for users.
Hinge is rolling out an AI profile coach built on GPT-4o mini. The company says early testers saw a 9% increase in likes received.
Chapter 2 research of nearly 15,000 widowed people finds 63% say dating platforms lack adequate support, pointing to a gap Match Group and Bumble overlook.
Bookmark, an Indian dating app, hides profile photos until users exchange 10 messages, and has 15,000 downloads and 5,000 monthly active users.
Hinge has launched an AI Prompt Feedback tool that coaches users on profile answers. The company says 63% of users struggle with prompts.
Therapists warn AI dating tools may erode users' relationship skills, though no longitudinal studies yet show worse outcomes for AI-assisted users.
Match Group and Bumble are testing AI assistants that message and screen matches for users, while no major jurisdiction has specific rules on AI impersonation.
Hinge CEO Justin McLeod plans an AI dating coach he says beats meeting organically, and Hinge revenue rose 30% year-on-year in Q4 2024.
Down Dating's team has launched Dapper, an AI tool that generates dating profile photos, raising verification questions for platforms.
Dinky One, a dating platform for men with smaller penises, has added AI to filter explicit photos after human moderators could not keep up.
Dating apps' engagement metrics may hide stalled relationships, as a study finds users stuck in a "just talking" phase of messaging without meeting.
flutrr has launched an AI chatbot giving real-time chat prompts and sentiment analysis to users in India's tier II and III cities.
Couple.com has launched a beta AI tool that scores romantic compatibility from facial and vocal cues in video speed-dates, without published evidence.
HubPeople has partnered with The Payments Group to accept cash for dating app subscriptions at 550,000 retail locations in 28 countries from Q2 2025.
Seattle-based dating app Cheers has launched with a feature that lets friends swipe and arrange introductions for users, says founder Sahil Ahuja.
Hinge is building a tool to move long chats towards dates, CEO Justin McLeod told NPR. He says Your Turn Limits raised match-to-date conversion by 20%.
A 2019 Plenty of Fish study found 9% of users dated for social status and 30% felt throned, as Match Group and Bumble add status-signalling features.
Research says 84% of Gen Z have embraced voice notes, a UX challenge for dating apps that risk losing chats to WhatsApp and Instagram.
HER is offering three couples up to $7,500 each in moving costs for its 'U-Haul Fall' campaign, open to couples together six months or less.
Greed Dating's founder built an Android app in eight days using ChatGPT, according to a company statement. The app serves 600,000 active users.
Match Group and Bumble offer no income fields, though 71% of US adults now rate a steady job as very important in a partner, up from 63% a decade ago.
Happn plans to cap AI-curated daily matches at 10 profiles, according to CEO Karima Ben Abdelmalek, as dating apps turn to AI to fight user burnout.
Laguna, a new dating app, says three questions can produce one AI-generated match per day, but it has not disclosed how its algorithm works.
Research cited by matchmaker Tina Wilson says 77% of singles feel more nervous the longer online chats go without a date, a flaw called carouselling.
Greed Dating combines 16 niche dating categories in one app and claims 622,770 accounts, with fewer than one message per account a month.
Grindr plans an AI dating assistant by 2027 that will chat with other users' AI agents before any human contact, says CEO George Arison.
Tinder is pushing its Passport feature as a travel tool with a Solo Traveler's Guide, as Match says Tinder's paying users declined year-over-year.
happn is expanding CrushPoints with Foursquare data and adding native advertising for venues and brands, with 41 million Indian users engaged, it says.
Rizz, an AI dating assistant, has reached 7.5 million downloads since launching in 2022 and ranked as the 5th most downloaded dating app.
Feeld has launched 'First Timers', a seven-episode YouTube series on kink, as dating apps shift from matchmaking towards producing content.
Grindr, Tinder and Bumble are adding AI writing tools as Match Group revenue fell 3% in Q4 2024 to $864M from $893M, with Bumble up just 3% to $274M.
Hannah Fry's analysis of OkCupid data finds men's stated age preferences skew towards younger women, narrowing the matching pool for women over 35.
Austin-based dating app After requires users to give a reason when they unmatch and sends it to the match as a message. It launches this month.
YouMatch has launched an AI relationship coach that analyses messages and facial expressions, with no published clinical trials or peer review.
Aarhus University study of 48 speed daters links physiological synchronisation to attractiveness, with top-quartile synchronizers rated about 0.8 points higher.
EVA AI has launched four LGBTQ+ companion characters for Pride Month, raising questions about monetising isolation and what it means for dating apps.
Heyoosh, an Israeli-founded dating app, has launched with AI personality matching and encrypted messaging. It has not released user numbers.
HealthSteps has launched on iOS with 30,000 Android users, offering dating, networking and wellness matching in one app. The story questions the model.
Tinder UK has launched an in-app voter registration campaign with My Life My Say ahead of the snap general election, reaching 7.4 million UK members.
HeeSay launched a Community feature with event discovery and group chat, and says more than 400 users registered for a Toronto Lip Sync Battle.
Bumble has launched Opening Moves in India, where men can start chats by answering women's preset questions, reversing its 2014 women-first rule.
Mormon dating app Mutual, with over 2 million members, has launched speed dating that caps sessions at 15 minutes: three five-minute video chats.
QuackQuack has launched a premium 'Human Matchmaker Model' that combines AI dating advice with human coaches for paying subscribers.
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.