Tinder is looking to artificial intelligence to revitalize its dating app, which has now reported nine consecutive quarters of declines in paying subscribers since the third quarter of this year. Dating app maker Match Group told investors on Tuesday’s earnings call that Tinder is testing a feature called Chemistry that will get to know users through questions and, with permission, access Camera Roll photos on users’ phones to learn more about their interests and personality.
The feature is already being piloted in New Zealand and Australia and will be “a key pillar of Tinder’s upcoming product experience in 2026,” said Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff.
Match isn’t the only one asking for access to users’ private Camera Roll photos. Meta also launched a feature last month that asks its AI to use photos on your phone that you haven’t shared yet in order to recommend AI edits.
In either case, the benefits to the end user of allowing this kind of expanded access are negligible.
In Match’s case, the company says it will engage users with interactive questions and learn more about them using AI technology so it can recommend better, more compatible matches. Probably, it would look something like this: if you had photos of you out hiking or climbing, they might match you with someone who shares the same outdoor hobbies.
While the company is experimenting with Tinder, Match results are suffering.
Its fourth-quarter guidance includes a $14 million negative impact on Tinder’s direct revenue as a result of product testing, Match said. That, along with other dating industry trends, knocked Match’s Q4 guidance down to somewhere between $865 million and $875 million, while analysts were expecting $884.2 million.
The company uses AI in other areas too, including an LLM-powered system where Tinder nudges users before they send potentially offensive messages, asking them: “Are you sure?” It also uses AI to help users choose their best photos.
However, AI isn’t the only thing Tinder is trying to boost subscribers and engagement. The company has rolled out other features like dating “features,” double dates, face verification, and redesigned profiles that feature biographical information on the first photo card and prompts built into the photo carousel.
Despite the product changes, Tinder faces a hard market where some young people lean away from online dating in favor of it more real world experienceswhile online daters in the US may be spending less as their disposable income shrinks as the the country is flirting with recession.
Match reported in the third quarter that Tinder’s revenue fell 3% year-over-year and saw a 7% decline in paying users.
Overall, Match’s revenue and earnings were largely in line with estimates, with revenue up 2% to $914.2 million, versus $915 million expected, and EPS of 62 cents ($160.8 million profit), versus 63 cents expected.
