Tinder is shaking up the dating scene with an exciting new feature designed to connect with younger users and boost engagement: introducing Double Date! This innovative addition allows users to team up with friends and explore potential matches together, making the dating experience more fun, relaxed, and social.
With Double Date, you can invite a friend to join your browsing experience. Together, you can view profiles of other pairs who share at least one of your preferences—like gender or sexual orientation. When one person in a pair matches with someone, a group chat opens up for all four participants. Want to keep things more personal? No problem—you can like individual profiles to chat one-on-one if you prefer. Up to three friends can join in on this new way to meet people.
This feature aims to take the pressure off traditional dating by encouraging group interactions, helping users feel more at ease and authentic. “In early testing, users said they felt more comfortable being themselves when connecting as a pair with a friend, which often led to stronger engagement,” said Cleo Long, Tinder’s head of product marketing. “The group chat format helps break the ice and makes planning casual meetups easier, whether they turn into friendships, romantic connections, or just new experiences.”
This launch comes at a crucial time for Tinder, which recently reported a 5% dip in paying subscribers, totaling 14.2 million in the first quarter. Double Date might be Tinder’s strategy to re-engage existing users and attract new ones. Early results are promising—about 12% of users who tried Double Date were new or returning members. Additionally, conversations in these group chats tend to be more lively, with message volumes increasing by 25% compared to typical one-on-one chats, especially among users under 29.
Initially tested in select markets like Latin America, Spain, and the Nordics, Tinder plans a global rollout of Double Date in July. The demand for group-oriented dating experiences is growing, with apps like Fourplay, DuoDate, and Doubble gaining popularity in this niche. A recent survey from UK-based Slide 1828 revealed that nearly half of Gen Z respondents believe double dates can help ease dating anxiety, further highlighting the appeal of this approach.
Beyond Double Date, Tinder is exploring other features like Matchmaker and Share My Date, which aim to make dating more of a team effort. According to Long, nearly half of singles seek friends’ support when navigating the dating world, and Tinder’s new features are designed to cater to that social aspect.
While reminiscent of Tinder Social, the Double Date feature focuses more on creating meaningful, comfortable connections rather than just party scenes. It’s all about making dating more social, less stressful, and more enjoyable for everyone involved.
