Conceptual image of two hands holding smart phones with an online dating app on the screen
Tinder's new matchmaker feature lets your friends and family play Cupid for you on the app, but don't worry, they won't be able to message anyone on your behalf.
  • Tinder users can now let their friends and family recommend potential matches directly in the app.
  • You can invite up to 15 people to review possible matches in 24 hours. You still have the final say.
  • Over 75% of singles Tinder surveyed discuss their dating lives with friends several times a month.

Tinder users: Your friends and family can now play Cupid for you directly in the app.

A new matchmaker feature on the dating app lets users invite others to review potential matches for them, Tinder announced Monday. So if you've ever wanted to get a second opinion (or first?) from your best friend or your mom before swiping right, now you can.

Users can invite up to 15 people to view profiles of potential matches on the dating app. Matchmakers don't need Tinder profiles of their own. They'll have 24 hours to weigh in, but they won't be able to message anyone on the user's behalf. A profile will be flagged as a recommendation if a matchmaker liked it, but it's still ultimately up to the user whether to swipe left or right.

"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," said Melissa Hobley, Tinder's chief marketing officer, in the press release Monday.

The feature is now available in 15 countries, including the US, and Tinder says it expects to roll it out to more in the coming months. In an online survey commissioned by Tinder of 2,500 single people ages 18-25 who are actively dating, more than 75% said they talk about their dating life with their friends several times a month.

The rollout of the new feature is the biggest news to come out of Tinder since September, when the company announced a jaw-dropping $500 premium monthly subscription available to the top 1% of its most active users. 

Match Group, which owns Tinder and another dating app, Hinge, plans to roll out AI tools aimed to help users select their best profile photos and explain why matches are compatible.

"I think we can help a lot of people across the world find their happiness a lot quicker, a lot safer, and a lot better," Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd told Bloomberg recently about uses for AI in dating apps.

Read the original article on Business Insider