Let’s face it, there’s no greater feeling in the world than spilling the goss on your latest date. Debriefing over a bottle of red, some snacks a sleepover-style list of your latest crush’s pros and cons, you and your friends can put the world to rights — the good, the bad and the downright disappointing.
We love doing this so much that, according to research conducted on behalf of the dating app Tinder, over 75% of surveyed singles say they discuss their dating life with friends multiple times a month... perhaps that’s because there’s a lot to talk about.
It’s time we got real about dating
Truth is, post-Covid dating sucks. Data collected by the Pew Research Centre found that most single people are finding dating difficult right now — but, we’ve been feeling this way for quite some time.
With so many things to look out for, from ‘Spider Webbing’ to ‘Anti-Ghosting’, the opportunities to unwittingly sign up for headfuckery are a-plenty.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, dates are expensive and the cost of living crisis is making it hard for singles to budget for dates. Nevertheless, the dating horrors persist and so do we. Why? Because against our better judgment, we just love love.
The problem is, sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees. So, Tinder is doing something about it.
Enter your best mate
Okay. Imagine this. You, dating — but you let your closest pals pick who you spend your precious time and energy on. They know you after all.
Which, if we’re being honest, could mean you’re less likely to go for same old same old (read: bad-for-you-dead-end) and more likely to end up with a pre-approved date with green flags up the wazoo.
Sounds nice — right? And it’s easier than you might think.
Tinder is launching a new “friend test” feature, Tinder MatchmakerTM, which means you can let your nearest and dearest asynchronous access Tinder so that they can recommend profiles for your perusal.
Even if your friends don’t use dating apps, they can still participate en masse to help you find a lusty fling or spark a long-lasting love affair with the elusive one. And, when you think about it — it actually makes a lot of sense.
YouGov’s ongoing study into how people meet their partners, tells us that most people meet on dating apps, but the second most common way for couples to get together is through their friends. A marriage of the two (so to speak) feels like a natural progression.
“For years, singles have asked their friends to help find their next match on Tinder, and now we’re making that so easy with Tinder Matchmaker,” says Melissa Hobley, Chief Marketing Officer at Tinder.
“Tinder Matchmaker brings your circle of trust into your dating journey and helps you see the possibilities you might be overlooking from the perspective of those closest to you.”
Interested? Here’s how it works.
A Tinder Matchmaker session can be started directly from a profile card, or within app settings. Users can share their unique link with up to 15 friends in a 24-hour period.
- After following the link, the matchmaker can either log in to Tinder or continue as a guest (after completing an age verification prompt and agreeing to Tinder’s terms as outlined).
- Matchmakers have 24 hours to play Cupid before the session expires, where they can recommend profiles for the Tinder user but won’t be able to chat or send messages on their behalf.
- Once the session expires, Tinder users will have the opportunity to review the profiles their matchmakers’ Like for them. Profiles that received a Like from a matchmaker will be marked as a “recommendation” (profiles sent a Nope won’t change).
- The Tinder user still makes the final call on who to Like - but now knows who their friends are rooting for.
So, would you trust your bestie to pick your next date? Or, would you rather chance it on your own?