Image: Tinder

Dating app Tinder is launching the in-app “Take Action Center” along with partner Vote.org to encourage people to register to vote and make a voting plan ahead of the November elections in the U.S.

According to Tinder’s press release, the Take Action Center is powered by Vote.org to make it easy for people to get the information they need to prepare for election season, including where to register to vote or how to check voter registration status, how to request a mail-in ballot, and where to vote (whether in-person, early voting, or dropping a ballot in the mail). Vote.org offers a range of information to voters, including polling locations and voter registration status. Tinder users who participate can also receive “I Voted” digital stickers to post on their profiles.

To help drive turnout, Tinder and Vote.org will also provide a GOTV (get out the vote) food truck outside of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Indianapolis, November 2-3. The food truck will feed concertgoers as well as provide them information about their voter registration and voting options including their polling locations (even for those traveling from other states).

Bumble, the Austin, Texas-based female-forward dating app has announced its backing of a new documentary about the impact of abortion laws in the Lone Star state.

Zurawski v Texas is produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s production company as well as Hollywood A-list actress Jennifer Lawrence, and Bumble has funded a series of impact screenings in Austin beginning September 24th, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The company will also fund screenings at Alamo Drafthouse theaters across the country on September 25th to bring light to this issue.

Zurawski v Texas tracks the legal case in which 20 Texas women sued the state in 2023 because its restrictive abortion laws prevented them from receiving necessary medical care, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film follows attorney Molly Duane who is representing the plaintiffs, as well as three of the women at the center of the case, one of whom almost died from complications and suffered permanent damage that left her unable to carry a child.

New York dating service Pique is turning back the clock on how people meet with its debut of the “Love Wall,” a tangible alternative to dating apps.

According to Newsweek, the Love Wall was created by Pique co-founders Cyrus Belsoi and Vaish Sesetty, designed as an in-person experience to help people connect. The founders saw an opportunity to create something different as people became more frustrated with dating apps.

The Love Wall is located in Brooklyn’s McCarren Park, and has generated some buzz among local singles looking for an alternative to swiping. It contains hundreds of polaroid pictures hanging from its structure, as well as a few bio details like you’d find in an online profile.

India-based dating app Schmooze just raised $4 million from Elevation Capital and other angel investors.

The meme-based dating app founded by Vidya Madhavan and Abhinav Bengaluru helps people connect based on their senses of humor and allows them to express their personalities creatively through memes. The round of funding also included investments from the founders of Ultrahuman, The Souled Store, Mosaic Wellness and Paytm, according to Economic Times.

The funding comes at a time when dating app revenue has been declining and dating app companies are struggling to better monetize their platforms. Many are turning to AI for enhanced features, like photo selection, helping users craft bios, and added safety features, hoping to attract users willing to pay for such perks.

Schmooze is also touting its AI-driven features, and said that the new funds will be used to enhance its AI engine as well as for growing the company, according to Economic Times.

Bumble plans to enhance its platform with new AI-powered features in the next few months, particularly in the areas of profile creation and conversation support.

According to Tech Radar, Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones spoke at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia technology conference in mid-September and offered the new plans of where Bumble is headed. She said the company was focused on developing AI tools to enhance user experience.

One tool she mentioned was an AI-driven feature to help users pick out photos for their profile, similar to what Tinder launched, to help improve matches.

Gay dating app Grindr has launched a new online show called Host or Travel, which explores different “gayborhoods” (or gay-friendly neighborhoods) around the world, launched in tandem with testing its new travel-friendly “Roam” feature.

According to the trailer for the show, Host or Travel features specific cities with prominent LGBTQ communities, and looks at their local cultures, nightlife, and events that might interest Grindr users. The show has featured destinations like Madrid, Spain; Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Los Angeles, U.S.; Zipolite, Mexico; Berlin, Germany; and Malta.

The show centers on singles traveling to these key destinations and using the Grindr app to meet locals who can share insider knowledge and give them a peek into the gayborhood in each city, including private parties and hole-in-the-wall bars.

According to Mashable, Grindr is developing an interactive map to help users find LGBTQ-friendly hotspots in their cities like those featured in the show. The company is also highlighting its Roam feature which lets Grindr users temporarily set their location to anywhere in the world so they can chat with local matches and make plans ahead of a trip (similar to Tinder’s Passport feature).