Cost

Garbo is a non-profit provider of Background Checks

Tinder announced that it will offer background checks on potential dates, a new measure that parent company Match Group has taken to improve safety for users of the app. Currently no dating app conducts criminal background checks on users, so this is a huge step forward for safety advocates.

Match Group has partnered with Garbo, a non-profit that provides background checks, and plans to debut an in-app background check feature on Tinder later this year according to The Washington Post. There are no details yet on the cost of the service.

Tracey Breeden, Match’s new head of safety and social advocacy, said in an interview: “This gives [Tinder users] an opportunity and that comfort level. Maybe they want more information before they have a video chat, maybe they want more information before they meet in person.”

The Lox Club officially launched this fall, but the buzz about it has been growing since the beginning of the year, with comparisons to exclusive dating app Raya.

The new members-only app accepts applications from users to join, and there’s currently thousands of people on the waiting list over the course of a couple of months, according to Jewish Insider. The company’s target market is Jewish singles looking for a different, more curated experience from a mainstream app like Tinder, but you can join even if you’re not Jewish. The tagline says the app is: “for Jews with ridiculously high standards.”

The app is similar to Raya in that you can’t just sign up, you have to be accepted. However, unlike Raya, acceptance to the club isn’t dependent on how many Instagram followers you have, (though users are required to link to their Instagram page when they join), or what you do for a living, but something more intangible - what kind of values you hold.

Dating app Hinge has rolled out some impressive new features to help users connect with matches who spark their interest, and to help them engage in conversation.

According to Adweek, the app is offering new visuals that don’t resemble a traditional dating app, intended to capture the attention of its users – specifically, hand-drawn illustrations of people, dogs and plants in a color palette of purple, green and red. These illustrated characters will also offer users prompts and tips for starting conversations. Hinge intends to create more warmth and fun to the dating app experience, which they feel will help users connect. 

My Transsexual Date is a dating site that caters specifically to the transgender singles community, and since its launch in 2014, has become the leading online dating platform for transgender women and trans oriented men looking for love.

Currently, the website has over 25 million page views per month, more than one million profiles worldwide, 55,000 monthly active users, and 600 new daily subscribers. The platform also sees about 75,000 messages sent per day between users. My Transsexual Date is not yet available as a mobile app, but the website works well on smartphones if you prefer to set up a profile that way.

Some benefits of their dating platform: there’s a higher level of moderation than on regular apps to avoid fake and indecent profiles, as well as to curb harassment. There’s also no advertising, a rarity in the online dating market.

The online dating market is booming, and is expected to grow to $9.9 billion by 2026, thanks to leading apps like Tinder, Bumble, eHarmony, Hinge and other popular platforms.

New research by Market Growth Insight shows that the dating services market’s expected goal of $9.9 billion in 2026 is up from $6.7 billion in 2018. The dating market continues to grow with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 5.2% to achieve that marker. Of this, North America contributes to 37% of that growth, but Asian markets are quickly picking up speed. 

Match Group joins several prominent tech companies including Spotify, Epic Games and Tile to rally app developers against App Store policies and to create a fairer marketplace.

These companies have banded together to form The Coalition for App Fairness, whose mission is broader than just the App Store. According to The Verge, they aim to “create a level playing field for app businesses and give people freedom of choice on their devices.” The goal of the organization is to create a united front to protest Apple’s regulations regarding its store, essentially to amass their power against Apple. The Coalition also allows smaller developers to join so they can have some leverage against the tech giant.