Match Group

Following a ruling by The Netherland’s privacy watchdog, Apple has agreed to allow dating apps that operate in the country use payment options outside of the Apple Store, according to Reuters.

Previously, all payments made through the apps had to go through Apple’s payment platform, which meant that app developers had little control over billing issues or questions from their customers. But also (and perhaps more importantly to the developers), a certain percentage of every sale (from 15 to 30 percent) was collected by Apple, cutting into their profits.

Match Group partnered with other app developers in lodging the complaint, which resulted in The Netherland’s watchdog agency Authority for Consumers and Markets to investigate. The agency ruled against Apple, so the tech company went to court in December to seek an injunction against the order, according to Tech Crunch. However, the court rejected Apple’s arguments, saying that the company had until January 15th to comply with offering payment options outside of its platform to dating app users, so Apple agreed to the terms.

Recipient Plenty of Fish

The 2022 Editor's Top Pick - Free award winner is Plenty of Fish. Very few dating service that offers free communication by messaging comes close to the number of members POF has. On average 3 million members log in every day to search for members and communicate with them. The POF website and apps are well designed and offer many features including video chat.

Match Group, owner of the popular dating apps Tinder, OkCupid and Hinge, has sued dating app MuzMatch for Trademark infringement.

The online dating company said that MuzMatch, a British-based matchmaking app for Muslims, has copied their products and services, according to The Daily Mail. Match Group pointed to the use of the word “match” in the app’s metadata, which are keywords used by companies to make their products more prominent in Internet search findings. Match Group says that MuzMatch has included keywords like “match-muslim” and “uk-muslim-match,” which the company says are its registered marks that MuzMatch is co-opting for their own benefit.

MuzMatch rejects the allegations, saying that Match Group doesn’t have claim to the word “match.” The British company also has a U.S. copyright registration for the wordmark “Muzmatch” that has been in place since 2015, as well as in France and Germany.

Dating app Tinder has confirmed it is developing a new interactive feature called Swipe Party, enabling others to virtually join a user as they sort through profiles.

Swipe Party was discovered by Dutch website GratisDatingTips, who spotted new lines of code added to the app’s latest update. Citing further proof of the new feature, the site also discovered that a developer at Tinder had listed Swipe Party as his main development project, further tipping off news outlets like Tech Crunch to what was underway. Tech Crunch confirmed with Tinder that this feature is in development.

There aren’t many details yet about how Swipe Party will work, but Tech Crunch noted that it does involve a user inviting friends to join and enabling the microphone and video functions on the app. The idea is that multiple users can observe as a user looks at profiles, and advise whether to swipe left or right, making choosing a match a group effort.

The new year typically brings new dating trends, and according to Match, Zoomancing, icing out, and coupling season will be the breakout stars, at least in the UK.

Match Dating’s Expert Matchmaker Hayley Quinn has predicted that these trends will take off in the new year, after closely watching the pandemic alter dating habits at an unprecedented level.

“Zoomancing,” or virtual dating, isn’t going away anytime soon, she told the U.K.’s Mirror. In fact, Match reported that 18 percent of its users continue to date virtually, even when they could have met in person. This is in large part due to Covid infection surges throughout the last two years and the emergence of new variants that have continued to cause more concern, even as more people get vaccinated. Lockdowns might not be required anymore, but singles remain cautious with people they are just getting to know. Plus, dating virtually offers people a chance to get to know each other before meeting in real life.

Dating app Match has partnered with Candace Bushnell, the international best-selling author who inspired the Sex and the City series, to help its members find love during dating’s high season.

According to Tech Crunch, beginning on “Dating Sunday” January 2nd, the highest-trafficked day for dating apps, and through the following week, Candace is overseeing matches for the “Expert Picks” feature. Expert Picks allows users to take a quiz to receive hand-selected matches from Match’s team of experts, (including from Bushnell for the busiest week of the year).

"As the creator of Sex and the City, I know a catch when I see one," said Bushnell in a statement. "I can't wait to play matchmaker for Match members to help them get out on great dates and find the love they deserve in 2022."