Building features for dating apps can be complicated. From super likes, to video chat, there are so many things singles seem to want but never really use. Tinder social was launched last year as part of Tinder’s relentless push to get non-single people on the platform. As if they didn’t already have a problem with 12% of users turning out to be married, Tinder continued to try to encourage non-singles to use Tinder.
Tinder has since removed Tinder social. This used to be a small toggle on the top of your profile where you and a few friends who were also on the app could match with other groups of friends and hang out. It’s no surprise that Tinder social failed. When you assume that people on dating apps are cool, and have friends, you build features for cool people. As I’ve said many times before, dating apps are not for cool people.
Problem One
People with friends don’t need your app to make plans with their friends. Let’s assume, as Tinder probably did that I’m a group of rad guys on a college campus. I think it would be great to meet some new people so I hop on Tinder looking for a group of hot girls. Boom, we match now we can make plans to meet at a bar, or a bowling alley, good times. Except for one small problem. That’s like bringing sand to the beach. I’m a good looking person, and I’m going out with my friends. The chances of me meeting another good looking person in real life is high. I better leave my options open and just have a great time with my friends.
Problem Two
There are too many people on your app who don’t have friends. Bumble has tackled the friend issue head on with their Bumble BFF feature. Using Bumble BFF you can browse and match with users of the same sex. But what do you do when you don’t have friends and want to use Tinder social. Well you can’t.
If Tinder social was about getting a group of strangers together to possibly do something fun, that would be a little more interesting but Tinder social only worked if you had friends, and they were also using the app. But Tinder needs to keep it 100 and understand that many of their users don’t have available friends to party with.
For many reasons, such as their friends are married, or in a different state etc… Tinder failed to accept that there are several lonely singles on Tinder and they don’t have any use for a social platform.
Problem Three
Tinder is a hookup app.
Let’s call a spade a spade and be real. Tinder is best used for meeting strangers and having sex with them. Sure there are success stories, even a broken clock is right twice a day but the reality is, Tinder is easy to use, and available to everyone. It’s an easy marketplace to troll for sexual partners and many people use it for that reason. They don’t want an audience and they don’t want their friends to know. They certainly don’t want to meet in a public place.
I never liked the feature and I’m glad it’s gone but the months it took to build, test and implement is time and money Tinder will never get back.