Match Group

The last place many love weary daters would go for advice on how to date is consulting a dating app. Especially Tinder, which has often been accused of being a “hook-up” app, and recently taken to task by competitor Hinge for that reputation.

But last month, Tinder launched a brand new podcast offering online daters some much-needed advice.

Branded podcasts are popping up everywhere, since the platform has really caught on with the way the public consumes information. According to Edison Research, about 21% of Americans over the age of 12, or 57 million people, listen to a podcast monthly, up from 17% last year. It seems Tinder is trying to capitalize on its success and pave a more helpful and hopeful path while expanding its user base.

Recipient
Tinder

The 2016 Editor's Top Pick - Dating App Award goes to Tinder. 2016 was another big year for Tinder being the most popular dating app on iOS and Android. It's estimated value was pegged at $1.2 billion USD in 2016 and it has now more than 1.5 million paid subscribers (end of Quarter 3 in 2016).

In 2016 Tinder introduced a number of new features for it's members including the paid feature Tinder Boost which allows members to jump to the front of the line and get your profile seen by other members first. Tinder also added dozens of new gender identity options, and Smart Photo which figures out which of your profile photo's people like best. Tinder also partnered with Spotify to allow sharing of your favorite tunes along with a partnership with Giphy which enabled GIF support in all Tinder messages.

Dating apps have provided a great way for people to connect, but along with the positives, the downside to dating apps still looms large - users aren't necessarily safe when they are meeting new people.

Dating app users can become easy targets for sexually predatory behavior. The question of security in online dating has once again entered the news headlines, thanks to the conviction of Stephen Port, a UK man who was accused and found guilty of killing four men he met through gay dating apps.

Port met his victims by catfishing them through various dating apps including Grindr, posting fake profiles and avoiding using any real details about himself, encouraging them to meet in person before drugging their drinks. 

Dating app giant Tinder is trying to maintain its huge lead in the online dating market, and is also looking for new ways to monetize. In late 2016 the company launched Tinder Boost, a new paid feature to help users “skip the line” and be more prominently featured to other users. This comes after the success of the launch of its premium paid service, Tinder Plus.

Tinder Boost provides a unique advantage to its users. The new feature places its users at the top of searches for 30 minutes, giving them up to 10 times more profile views than the standard method. While Tinder Boost is activated, other relevant, potential matches within the area will see your profile before anyone else’s. This could make a huge difference in your chances of connecting, since competing among Tinder’s 50 million users can be quite challenging. It’s easy to be overlooked, especially if users are mindlessly swiping.

Tinder Boost also offers a built-in timer that lets people see how many minutes are remaining, so you can take full advantage of the thirty minutes you get.

Recipient
OurTime

The dating service OurTime is the recipient of the Editor's Top Pick - Senior Award for 2016. OurTime is accessible via their dating app (for Apple and Android) and website at OurTime.com. The service is designed for singles who are 55 or older and are looking for love.

A basic membership is free at OurTime and takes only a few minutes to complete. From there you can either continue on and finish all of the profile, or start searching on the dating service for people that spark your interest. You will be able to view their profile's and pictures but will only have limited communication options unless you upgrade your membership.

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.