Tinder

Probably the dating app most synonymous with the term, Tinder is a household name. Launched in 2012 by Sean Rad, Justin Mateen, Jonathan Badeen, Joe Munoz, Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Chris Gylczynski before merging with Match Group in 2017, Tinder put swiping on the map. Here's everything you need to know about the app Tinder says 50 million people use each month.

Table of Contents

tinder logo on a smartphone
All your Tinder questions, answered
screenshots of tinder platinum
Is Tinder Platinum worth it? I tried it for 3 months to find out.
tinder logo with robotic hand looming above
Tinder's predictions for dating in 2026
Mobile phone with heart symbol and icons surrounding it with heart symbols for messaging love
Comparing AI features for Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder
The Tinder app logo on a black background
There are 3 types of Tinder users: Here’s how to find (or avoid) them
Silhouette of a hand holding a smartphone displaying the Tinder app.
How to cancel your Tinder subscription

Meet Our Experts

Rachel Thompson, sits wearing a dress with yellow florals and black background.
Rachel Thompson
Features Editor

Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.

A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.

Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.

anna iovine, a white woman with curly chin-length brown hair, smiles at the camera
Anna Iovine
Associate Editor, Features
 

Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky.

Headshot of a Black man
Chance Townsend
Assistant Editor, General Assignments
 

Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.

In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].

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Tabitha Britt
Freelance Writer

Tabitha Britt is an award-winning freelance journalist, editor, and SEO/AEO strategist. Aside from reviewing dating apps and sex toys for Mashable, Tabitha is also the founding editor-in-chief of DO YOU ENDO — a digital magazine by individuals with endometriosis, for individuals with endometriosis. She has a Master's degree in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from The New School for Social Research and is a grad of Sextech School. You can find more of her work in various online publications, including National Geographic, Glamour, Better Homes & Gardens, and Everyday Health.

Tinder

illustration of two women meeting at a bar
App fatigue is real. I tested the best dating apps of 2026 to find the ones that really work.
The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt
Match Group responding to alleged hack of user data
Tinder and Hinge recommended serial rapist to women, lawsuit claims
The 9 best dating apps for men who are tired of being alone
thumb on top of tinder logo Tinder must pay $60.5 million in class-action settlement. Are you eligible?
illustration of man looking at dating app screens The best 9 dating apps for men who are tired of being alone
illustration of hookup app icons on a phone screen The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt
a woman looking at her phone with heart eyes The 11 best dating apps for women who want real connections in 2026
illustration of a woman in her underwear scrolling through a life-size phone. The best sexting apps for discreet and NSFW chats

News

A finger points at Tinder logo on a smartphone screen. Tinder is testing an AI matching feature called Chemistry
screenshots of tinder face check Tinder to require facial recognition scans for new U.S. users
Tinder and Match Group logo displayed on a phone screen Two senators pen letter to Match CEO about romance scams
Tinder logo appears on a smartphone screen and as the background on a laptop computer screen Tinder evolves Double Date and Tinder U into 'Modes'
match website seen on a laptop Match Group to pay millions in FTC settlement over fake ads
woman lying on couch looking at smartphone As Tinder struggles to attract paid users, one dating app is gaining popularity
bottom half of a woman's face as she uses a cellphone Dating apps to add age checks in the UK
Tinder on App Store displayed on a phone screen Tinder to require facial recognition scan for new California users
screenshots of tinder's double date feature Tinder launches Double Date feature to swipe with your BFF
tinder on app store displayed on smart phone Tinder is testing a height preference, putting an end to short king spring

More Tinder

The best gay dating apps of 2026: Grindr is still king, even if we wish it weren't
By Tabitha Britt
illustration of two men on a date
Tinder's new CEO wants to shed its hookup rep for Gen Z
By Anna Iovine
Spencer Rascoff speaks onstage during WSJ's Future of Everything 2025.
Tinder's new game tests your flirting skills with AI personas powered by OpenAI
By Cecily Mauran
tinder's the game game various screenshots of the feature on four separate smartphone screens
Should you be using AI in your dating life?
By Chance Townsend
A futuristic digital illustration of people absorbed in their smartphones, with a glowing brain floating above, connected to emoji-filled speech bubbles, symbolizing AI influence on social interactions.
Is Tinder's AI photo feature safe?
By Anna Iovine
tinder logo displayed on smart phone
Report: Match Group dating apps conceal assault cases
By Anna Iovine
A woman using smartphone at night under colorful LED lights
Tinder now allows you to search by what you're looking for
By Anna Iovine
screenshots of tinder explore page
The only dating apps worth downloading in December 2024
By Leah Stodart and Tabitha Britt
illustration of two women meeting at a bar
Women are using ChatGPT to catch men lying about their height
By Chance Townsend
Picutre of a man in backwards cap looking off to side. Imposed on the image is binary code and measuring tape
Tinder announces AI tool to help select your profile pic
By Anna Iovine
Tinder logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an Artificial intelligence (AI) chip and symbol in the background
Men found a surprising new way to lie on dating apps
By Chance Townsend
A diverse group of six people is gathered around a table, engaged in a serious discussion or planning session. The table is covered with maps, papers, and coffee cups. The background is shaded in red, giving a sense of urgency or intensity. The individuals vary in attire, from casual to formal, and display focused and contemplative expressions.
Dating predictions for the rest of 2024
By Anna Iovine
Woman with a rainbow heart reflected in her eyes and glasses.
Tinder adds Pride profile stickers for LGBTQ users and allies
By Tabitha Britt
tinder pride badges
Does Tinder notify users when you take a screenshot?
By Mashable Team
tinder on app with red heart background
The major dating apps are collapsing into each other
By Anna Iovine
a lab where tinder, bumble, hinge, and feeld are becoming one app
How to unmatch on Tinder
By Mashable Team
tinder logo on phone
How to use 'Share My Date' on Tinder
By Meera Navlakha
A person holding a phone showing the Tinder logo.
Tinder's new feature lets you 'Share My Date' with friends and family
By Meera Navlakha
Phone screens displaying a new Tinder feature.
How to delete your Tinder account
By Anna Iovine
tinder logo on iphone in front of backdrop of tinder fire emblem
Tinder will soon require IDs for a verification checkmark
By Anna Iovine
screenshots of tinder prompts to verify profile with ID and/or photo
It's easy to catfish strangers on dating apps
By Chance Townsend
An illustration showing a woman holding a phone that's displaying an online dating profile. The man in the photo is a bulky, square jawed white man. However, the man is revealed to be a catfish in a blue shirt
Tinder releases yet another feature to stop inappropriate messages
By Anna Iovine
Tinder's new in-app warning in front of pink and orange gradient background.
Tinder reveals the dating trends that defined 2023
By Amanda Yeo
A woman holding a smarpthone with the Tinder logo on it.
Tinder adds new features like prompts and dark mode
By Anna Iovine
screenshots of Tinder showing fake profile using prompts, dark mode, and reporting
Tinder's new Matchmaker feature lets friends and family recommend matches
By Meera Navlakha
Phone screens showing the Tinder app.
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