Tinder has released a new feature that can bring dating memories back to the pre-smartphone era. It’s a new quick chat experience called Blind Date that pairs members before allowing them to view each other’s profiles. Tinder says its aim is to give users a “low pressure way to put their personality first” as they will have to rely on conversation to make a first impression.
The mode, which was perhaps partially inspired by the popularity of Netflix’s dating show Love is blind, groups people based on their answers to random icebreaker questions like “Did I put ketchup in ____”. The participants then enter a timed chat with the only knowledge of each other being their answers to these questions. If they end up matching after the time is up, their profiles will be revealed to each other.
Tinder says that members who used Blind Date made 40% more matches than those who used another quick chat feature with visible profiles in an initial test. It can be a great way to meet new people that a user might have overlooked. But it can also be a brutal experience, as there is also a risk of being ignored and rejected when profiles and appearance are revealed – users can always choose to team up with someone new.
The dating app’s new Blind Date feature is now available on Explore in the US and will eventually reach users worldwide.
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