This is kind of interesting, if you ask me. Tinder has hit #1 in the App Store, in the top grossing category for the first time. Why is this interesting to me? Well, Tinder has a bit of a bad rap. Right or wrong, I’m not going to make a judgement call on that. But because of said bad rap, I find it interesting that it’s hit number one. It is believed that the reason for this surge is because of the launch of Tinder Gold. Which is the paid version of the free app.
Tinder Gold, lets users see who has liked them without swiping at all. This is in addition to other premium features. Which kind of takes the guess work out of Tinder, doesn’t it? A large “raison d’etre” is so that you can get excited when you match with someone. But Tinder Gold isn’t exactly a new concept. Tinder brought Tinder Plus onto the market back in 2015. Which required you to pay, but allowed you to “rewind” on accidental left swipes. It also included a passport feature, which lets users search outside of their present geographic radius. Which, in my opinion, makes it more like a dating feature, than a hook up app. But again, that’s just my opinion.
Tinder has also added new revenue models, such as advertising within the feed. Plus includes a limited number of “a la carte” paid features, like Super Like and Tinder Boost. Super Like lets you notify someone when you REALLY like them. Before you swipe on their profile, you can see that they are super into you because of a big blue star. Tinder Boost, on the other hand, lets you skip the line and jump to the front of other users’ feeds as they browse the dating app service.
What’s interesting about all of this is dating apps make up 1/3 of the top 15 apps by iOS revenue. This is along with music and video streaming apps. Which is kind of absurd. Are there that many single people out there? I’m joking. I just feel like this is a high number. But, I know all too well, how hard it can be to find someone and then make it work. The Tinder Boost and Plus features are of value in a way. But I would think that Tinder Gold would be where it’s at. Especially since it allows you to see who’s swiped right on you, before you swipe on them. Making it easier to filter through all the potentials.
Like I mentioned earlier, Tinder has a bit of a bad reputation. Mostly because it’s been viewed as a “hook up” app. Rather than a legitimate dating app. Let me be clear. Whatever you’re looking for, you can find it on Tinder. But don’t be surprised if you can’t find your future husband there, as it’s still used to hook up. Go in with your eyes open. Dating and relationships are not for the faint of heart. Tinder Gold, I think, pushes the app away from just being a hook up vibe, and more into the realm of a legitimate dating app. I will likely get a ton flack for saying that, but I think that this will help. And they are making a ton of money right now so I can only imagine more improvements coming to the app.