Tinder

Match Group is bringing the free background checks feature on Tinder to two more of its dating apps: Match (its signature app) and Stir, an app geared toward single parents.

The feature allows users two free background checks on matches, and after that there’s a cost. Right now, premium users on Tinder get four free background checks, and the same will apply for users of Stir and Match, according to The Verge.

The background checks feature was implemented in partnership with security service Garbo which actually runs the background checks. According to The Verge, when a user is chatting with someone and suggests meeting, a box pops up to ask if they want to do a background check. If they tap on the link, they see some safety tips before being transferred to the Garbo platform where the report is accessed.

Since Tinder was banned in Pakistan, young singles are flocking to private Facebook groups to meet others to date, even though Facebook Dating is not available in the country.

One of the most popular Facebook groups is Two Rings, a volunteer-run matchmaking group that does not charge its users any fees. It currently has about 228,000 members, and at least 335 couples have found spouses through the group, according to news source Rest of World.

"Instead of waiting on their parents or family to find somebody, they are actually now doing it all on their own," a cofounder of a Facebook dating group for graduates of some of Pakistan’s premier business schools told Business Insider.

In time for Pride month, Tinder has launched a new glossary and resource called “Let’s Talk Gender,” aimed at helping its users to understand and talk about gender with potential dates.

According to the dating app company, the guide was described as a “dynamic, living guide and glossary, developed with a diverse group of several contributors from the LGBTQ+ community,” according to Business Today. Tinder’s LGBTQ+ population has grown at twice the rate of its overall membership, according to the company, making this an important issue to address for those who might not know how to talk about gender and sexuality.

LetsTalkGender.in was developed by experts in partnership with Gaysi Family, a media platform for LGBTQ+ people from across Southeast Asia to help them share their experiences and stories, as well as to engage with others in the community.

Match Group has sued Alphabet Inc.’s Google to avoid being kicked out of its Play Store. The dating app conglomerate has refused to pay the required 30 percent commission of its in-app sales to the tech giant. Match joined with other companies like Epic Games in fighting Google, citing its hold on app developers to prevent them from using third party payment systems.

Google said they will block downloads of Match’s dating apps starting June 1st if they don’t comply with Google’s contract and payment system and share the revenue from in-app sales, according to Reuters. Apple is fighting similar issues with Match Group in The Netherlands, where Dutch regulators have required Apple to allow third party payment platforms for dating apps. Apple has allowed third party providers but so far has not compromised on their commission, charging app developers 27 percent even if they use a third-party payment platform and not Apple’s. 

"These exorbitant 'fees' force developers to charge users more for their services and utilize resources they would otherwise invest in our employees, technologies, and user-requested features," Match Group said when it announced its lawsuit. "In addition, monopolizing the market for in-app payments will further cement Google's near-total control of the Android ecosystem."

Dating apps are having a moment since the pandemic began, and new ones have launched this year that are expanding options for how to connect with others beyond just a swipe. 

Tinder and Bumble are by far the most popular apps, but many singles are looking for something different than your typical swiping experience that instead caters to social habits and lifestyles. Elle Magazine highlighted a few new apps to watch in their latest dating app round up, including some noteworthy ones that are following post-pandemic dating needs:

Image: Tinder

Tinder announced the launch of its new feature Festival Mode, designed to bring singles together through their mutual love of live music.

The dating app company partnered with Live Nation, as well as event producers AEG Presents and Superstruct Entertainment to offer users who plan to attend festivals this year the opportunity to connect with other attendees over the app, so they can meet up. Participants can match with others as early as a month before the event, and the app will feature over 20 of the biggest festivals across the globe, including The Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Stagecoach and EDC Las Vegas, as well as Lollapalooza Paris, Falls Festival in Australia, Sonar in Spain and All Points East in the UK. 

The feature will also include a “Festival Goers” space for those who don’t see their event listed or simply want to be part of “festival culture,” according to Tinder’s press release. Festival Mode will be part of the Explore section of the app.