Read our full review of Tinder Platinum.
However, some women have found relationships on Tinder, so I generally don’t recommend it. Even though Tinder is trying to tone down its hookup app reputation, it’s still my favorite choice for casual dating. It has a huge user base, especially among young people – an SSRS survey found that 73 percent of online daters aged 18-29 have used Tinder.
If you’re looking for something more casual than a serious relationship, whether it’s a one-night stand or just an impromptu date while traveling, I suggest you keep this app in your back pocket. Just be prepared to do some digging and see a lot of fish photos, especially since the app is currently skewed toward men (men make up about 75 percent of the user base).
I chose Tinder because, whether you like it or loathe it, the instant gratification of a swipe can’t be denied, and its wide user pool means you’ll find active users almost anywhere. Based on the numbers alone – more than 75 billion total matches made in the app’s history and 4.2 million GIFs sent between matches per week – it’s hard to top Tinder’s ability to put you in touch with a huge group of people. But the platform is also actively striving for a cultural and financial comeback; Its Q1 2026 earnings report showed that new user registrations have finally returned to year-over-year growth. Match Group and Tinder CEO Spencer Rascoff recently said that “it’s important for women to win” for this continued growth, and that the platform must do a better job of driving positive outcomes for female daters.
In 2026, Tinder is moving beyond simple swipes and giving users more control to find what they’re looking for. On the Explore page, you can now filter for specific relationship goals, ranging from “short-term fun” to “long-term partner” or even “non-monogamy.” The company is also testing paid height preference, so you may finally be able to get your own 6-6-6.
Tinder is also changing How People connect. Instead of an endless feed, you can now switch to specific modes like “Double Date Mode” (for low-pressure group hangs) or “College Mode.” According to Tinder, this is all part of an effort to give Gen Z “easier, less pressured ways to connect” and, more importantly, to help you find “not just more of them, but better couples.” Other new features include an AI matchmaking service called Chemistry, as well as astrology and music modes.
Most importantly, security on Tinder has received a serious upgrade. The app previously introduced mandatory “face check” verification for all US users, which requires a facial scan to verify that you’re real before you can start swiping. However, after a viral video demonstrated how romance scammers were cheating the system by hiding a digitally altered image at the end of their profile, Tinder strengthened its photo verification logic by requiring “more consistency” in every single photo on a user’s profile. This, combined with the “Share My Date” feature (which lets you send friends a link with the location and photo of your date), shows that Tinder is finally taking user safety just as seriously as its match numbers.
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