Tinder’s new feature lets your friends swipe for you

Bad taste in dates? 

If you're sick and tired of bad dates, it could be time to let your friends take the wheel. Tinder's newest feature lets your mates take care of the swiping – here's how it works.

 

If you’re someone with terrible taste in dates (me) then you’ll likely be familiar with the remark “You’re not allowed to choose your next partner”. 

It’s a phrase uttered lovingly but with an underlying hint of frustration, usually by a close friend or sibling, who has had a front-row seat to the abysmal choices you’ve made in your romantic life. 

Maybe it was a partner who categorically treated you like crap, or a friend you hooked up with, consequently burning the relationship to the ground. Perhaps it’s just your taste in the everyday swiper on a dating app and, despite your best efforts, you always end up with very little to show for it aside from a story to tell. 

If this rings true for you, firstly, welcome to the club. And secondly, you might want to keep reading. 

OG dating app Tinder has decided enough is enough, and is giving your poor mates (and your bruised heart and ego) a break, with a new function that lets them take swiping matters into their own hands – and swiftly out of yours. 

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For many young people, dating occupies a large portion of their conversations with loved ones. Actually, data from Tinder shows that 75 per cent of surveyed singles discuss their dating life with friends multiple times a month. 

Based on my own friend group, I’d say this is a conservative estimate.

When you combine actual dates, people you’re just “talking” to, rogue interruptions from exes and the crushes that live and die multiple times a week. I’d say most people talk about dating with their friends multiple times a week. God knows how many times it comes up each month.  

So, since most people are getting input from their friends on dating already, Tinder’s thinking is that people should be able to let their friends take the wheel entirely. 

The new feature is called Tinder Matchmaker – and gives people full reign to pick people who are right for their mates, and swiftly swipe left on those who aren’t. 

“Almost two thirds (60 per cent)* of Aussie singles admit they’ve looked through dating profiles with a friend,” Tinder Australia spokesperson Kirsty Dunn tells Body+Soul. “We’re bringing together users and their personal matchmakers…letting users know which profiles their friends and fam would recommend and give their stamp of approval to.” 

If you've got dating fatigue, Tinder Matchmaker could be just the solution. Image: Pexels

For many people, the choice to surrender control on their dating apps may come from a place of fatigue. Research shows that Gen Z in particular are feeling the burn with dating, with many turning back to old resources and rulebooks to point them in the right direction. So, handing over swipe rights to a friend might be a welcome interruption from the relentless churn of the dating world. 

However, as Dunn points out, “Who knows you better than your best mates and family?

“We can probably all relate to a best friend having a say on if you’re going to pursue someone – where that’s online or IRL! – we’re simply reinventing the original vibe check to see if someone is worthy of a Like, because they could hopefully be around for a long time!” 

The good news is that those who don’t necessarily have aligned tastes with friends or family, will ultimately have the final say on who they decide to swipe on. So, if the short list leaves a lot to be desired, they can cross them off and start again – knowing they’ve heard their friend, and respectfully said “no thank you”. 

With Tinder Matchmaker, you still make the final decision on whether you swipe or not. Image: Pexels

Here’s how Tinder Matchmaker works 

1. Start a Tinder Matchmaker session directly from your profile, or within app settings.  Users can share their unique link with up to 15 friends in a 24-hour period. 

2. Once the matchmaker clicks the link, they can either log into Tinder or continue as a guest  (after completing an age check and agreeing to the T&Cs, of course). 

3. Matchmakers have 24 hours to swipe before the session expires. They can recommend profiles for the user but can’t chat or send messages on their behalf.

4. Once the session expires, the original user can review the profiles their matchmakers have shortlisted, and decide whether they want to swipe right or left. Profiles that received a Like from a matchmaker will be marked as a “recommendation” – so the user knows who their friends are rooting for. 

Tinder Matchmaker is available now in Australia so brief your mates on your perfect date – and may luck be on your side of the swipe. 

* A survey of 1000 18-25 year old singles in Australia commissioned by Tinder and carried out by One Poll for the time period 05/04/2022 - 26/04/2022

Originally published as Tinder’s new feature lets your friends swipe for you