Tinder Rolls Out Blind Date Feature

Image: Tinder

Dating app Tinder is rolling out another interactive feature for its Explore section. According to the company’s blog post, Fast Chat: Blind Date will allow users to chat without being able to see each other’s photos, so they focus on personality instead of image. 

When users opt in to the Blind Date feature, they are asked to complete a series of questions, and are paired with others based on similar responses. The questions are meant to spark conversation in an ice-breaker style, like “I put ketchup on___.” The two daters then start a timed chat in which they receive the responses as prompts, so they can have a little fun with awkward first conversations. 

When the chat time ends, they can like the other person’s profile and if they both match they can see each other’s photos and continue talking or messaging, according to the company's blog. 

The feature was added as an incentive for younger Gen Z daters, who based on Tinder’s research, are particularly fond of pre-smartphone dating, and want experiences beyond the basic swiping through Instagram-like polished photos. They are looking for more authentic connections.

Tinder’s early testing suggested that the feature increases match rates by 40 percent compared to matches made when the photos are visible. However, it remains to be seen if actual dates or relationships come of the feature, too.

According to The Verge, Tinder says the new feature also taps into the 90’s nostalgia of Gen Z. It’s taken a page from the popular game show at the time, also called Blind Date, where three singles were hidden behind a screen from their potential date as they answered questions the contestant posed. Without seeing the potential prospects, the contestant chose one of the three based on their answers. After the choice was made, the screen came down and all the contestants got to see each other.

“We’ve all seen the mix of anticipation and excitement going on a blind date brought some of our favorite movie or TV characters, and we wanted to recreate that experience for today’s generation with the Blind Date feature,” Kyle Miller, VP of Product Innovation at Tinder, said in the company’s blog post. “There's something really special about letting conversation introduce someone’s personality, without the preconceptions that can be made from photos. The new Blind Date experience brings a surprisingly fun, banter-based way to interact and create connections that’s all new to Tinder.” 

The new feature is currently available in the U.S., and will roll out globally over the coming weeks, according to The Verge.