Chemistry Feature And Early Testing
Tinder is testing a new AI-powered feature called Chemistry as it looks to reduce what it calls “swipe fatigue,” a complaint from users who say they are burned out from scrolling through large numbers of profiles without seeing better results.
Introduced last quarter, the Match-owned dating app said Chemistry uses AI to learn about users through questions and, with permission, by accessing their Camera Roll to better understand interests and personality.
On Match’s fourth-quarter 2026 earnings call, an analyst from Morgan Stanley asked for an update on how the product is performing. Match chief executive Spencer Rascoff said the feature is still being tested in Australia and described it as an “AI way to interact with Tinder.” He said users can answer questions and receive “just a single drop or two,” instead of swiping through many profiles.
How The AI Tool Is Meant To Work
Rascoff said Chemistry is designed to reduce the amount of swiping required to find a potential match. Alongside the question-and-answer flow and Camera Roll access, he said the company plans to use the AI feature in additional ways over time.
The approach comes as Tinder and other dating apps face declines in paying subscribers, signs of user burnout, and weaker growth in new sign-ups.
User Trends And Product Changes
In the fourth quarter, Tinder’s new registrations were down 5% year over year, and its monthly active users were down 9%. Match said those figures showed some improvement compared with earlier quarters, which it attributed to AI-driven recommendations that change the order of profiles shown to women and to other product experiments.
Match said it plans this year to address issues it sees among Gen Z users, including relevance, authenticity, and trust. The company said it is redesigning discovery to make it less repetitive and is also relying on features such as Face Check, a facial recognition verification system. On Tinder, Match said Face Check led to more than a 50% reduction in interactions with bad actors.
Business Context And Market Reaction
Match reported fourth-quarter revenue of $878 million and earnings per share of 83 cents, both above Wall Street estimates. The company delivered an earnings beat, but issued weak guidance, which sent the stock lower on Tuesday before it rose again in premarket trading on Wednesday.
Rascoff also said Match will increase product marketing to support Tinder. The company is committing $50 million to Tinder marketing, including creator campaigns on TikTok and Instagram, where users will make claims that “Tinder is cool again,” he said.
Featured image credits: Heute.at
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