Tinder has launched a new feature called Double Date, which aims to make dating more relaxed and fun, especially for younger users.
This update comes as Tinder tries to bounce back from declining user engagement. According to its parent company, Match Group, paying subscribers fell by 5% in the first quarter of the year, dropping to 14.2 million across all its dating platforms.
With Double Date, users can pair up with a friend and swipe together to match with other friend pairs. The feature matches users based on at least one shared preference, such as gender or sexual orientation. When one person in a pair gets a match, a group chat opens up with all four participants. There’s also the option to like individual profiles for one-on-one chats. Users can invite up to three friends to try the new dating experience.
Cleo Long, Tinder’s Head of Product Marketing, said many users feel more confident when dating with a friend. Early testing showed people were more comfortable being themselves in a group setting, which led to better engagement and easier conversations. The group chat format makes it simpler to plan casual meetups, which can turn into friendships, relationships, or something in between.
Tinder hopes this new approach will help bring back users and attract new ones. The company reported that nearly 12% of those who accepted a Double Date invitation were either new or returning users. Users in these group chats sent 25% more messages than in standard one-on-one chats, and message volume was 35% higher among people under 29.
The feature was tested in parts of Latin America, Spain, and the Nordics, and will be rolling out globally in July. Interest in group-based dating is growing, with other apps like Fourplay, DuoDate, and Doubble already active in this space. A recent report from the UK-based dating app Slide 1828 found that 48% of Gen Z respondents believe double dating helps reduce dating anxiety.
Tinder is also working on other features that involve friends in the dating process, such as Matchmaker and Share My Date. These tools reflect a growing trend of dating becoming more of a team experience. Unlike earlier features like Tinder Social, which leaned more toward party planning, Double Date focuses on building real connections in a relaxed setting.
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With Double Date, Tinder is turning dating into something more social and supportive, giving users a way to connect that feels easier, safer, and more fun.
