Tinder is turning to artificial intelligence to breathe new life into its dating app after reporting nine straight quarters of declining paid subscribers.
Parent company Match Group revealed during its third-quarter earnings call that the app is testing a new feature called Chemistry, designed to learn more about users through interactive questions and, with permission, by analyzing photos from their phone’s Camera Roll.
The Chemistry feature is currently being tested in New Zealand and Australia and is expected to play a major role in Tinder’s 2026 product lineup, according to Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff. The AI will study users’ interests and personalities to recommend more compatible matches. For example, if a user has photos of hiking or outdoor activities, the system might pair them with others who share those hobbies.
This move mirrors similar efforts from other tech companies, such as Meta, which recently introduced a feature that uses on-device AI to analyze private photos and suggest edits. However, the actual benefit of granting apps such deep access to personal data remains debatable.
Tinder’s experimentation comes as the company faces declining revenue. Match expects a $14 million drop in Tinder’s direct revenue during the fourth quarter due to the ongoing product tests, bringing its overall guidance down to between $865 million and $875 million, below analysts’ expectations of $884.2 million.
Beyond Chemistry, Tinder is also using AI in other ways. A large language model–powered feature prompts users with “Are you sure?” before they send potentially offensive messages, while another AI system helps users choose their best profile photos. The app has also introduced new dating “modes,” double date options, facial verification, and redesigned profiles that highlight bios and prompts directly on the first photo card.
Despite these updates, Tinder continues to face challenges. Many young people are shifting away from online dating in favor of real-world connections, and economic pressures in the U.S. are affecting how much users are willing to spend on premium subscriptions.
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Match Group reported that Tinder’s revenue dropped 3% year-over-year in Q3, with paying users falling by 7%. Overall, Match’s total revenue reached $914.2 million—just below expectations—with earnings per share of 62 cents, compared to the projected 63 cents.
