The Evolution Of Tinder: How The Swipe Came To Reign Supreme

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Tinder…

It’s officially been four years since Tinder first appeared in app stores (this past October). Today it boasts over 40 million users worldwide and more than a billion daily swipes. It’s used in 196 countries, has been downloaded 100 million times, has made 10 billion total matches, and has launched 1.5 million dates. Tinder is now worth a reported $1.2 billion. It’s the app everyone loves and loves to hate.

In honor of the big birthday, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and remember how Tinder became mobile dating’s flashiest success story.

Like many startups before it, Tinder began on college campuses. Founders Sean Rad, Jonathan Badeen, Justin Mateen, Joe Munoz, Whitney Wolfe, Dinesh Moorjani, and Chris Gylczynski introduced the app to students on September 12, 2012. Ninety percent of its early users were aged between 18 and 24.

“They thought if this product is successful among that young college demographic, who also happens to be the most social group of people on the planet [and] the least likely to need an app to meet people, it can [work] for anyone,” Tinder spokesperson Rosette Pambaki told Complex.

Their hunch proved correct. By 2014, the app had widened its demographic, reached its first billion matches, and relocated to a 10,000-square-foot headquarters. It was also bought by IAC and enacted a series of major changes. One founder was suspended following a sexual harassment lawsuit. Another was demoted from his position as CEO. On the plus side, the year also saw the introduction of the Moments feature.

Moments' tenure was short. It was removed the following year, but 2015 saw other successes for the brand. Tinder unveiled its first ad and made its first acquisition. It also made its first strides into monetization with the launch of Tinder Plus. The premium, paid version gave users features like the Super Like, an ad-free experience, and the ability to go back and re-swipe a profile if they have second thoughts.

That brings us to 2016. This year, Tinder added Giphy and Spotify integration, a new push notification feature, the ability to boost profiles for a fee, and a smart photo algorithm to help users put their best face forward. Deutsche Bank has valued the company at $1.2 billion.

What the future holds is anyone’s guess, but predictions abound. Some say Tinder will incorporate in-app purchases. Other say enhancing the app’s GPS functionality will be a priority. Other speculations include adding videos to profiles and even augmented reality. Whatever direction Tinder takes, one thing is likely certain: the swipe is here to stay.