Powering Tinder® — The Method Behind Our Matching

We’re constantly asked about Tinder’s algorithm. How are recommended profiles ordered, and why? Is there a way to game the system to get more matches? We are happy to share more details behind how the Tinder algorithm works:

Getting Matches

The most important factor that can help our users improve their match potential on Tinder is… using the app.

We prioritize potential matches who are active, and active at the same time. We don’t want to waste people's time showing profiles of inactive users. We want our users to have meaningful connections, conversations and ultimately meet IRL - and there’s nothing better than matching and immediately striking up a conversation. Using the app regularly helps users be more front and center, see more profiles and make more matches. This is the most important part of our algorithm — and it’s totally in our users' control.

So, when users use the Tinder app, it helps us pick better potential matches, too. It’s Algorithm 101.

What Goes Into Matching

The Tinder app doesn’t ask for much from our users. Aside from current location and gender, it’s just age, distance and gender preferences to start. Proximity is a key factor; it’s always fun meeting someone in the same neighborhood and that’s why we consider a potential match’s distance from a user's current location. 

However, we want to make sure users see people they’ll vibe with, so we take a few other things into account:

• Things users tell us - Tinder has and always will be an open-ended adventure.  For those who want to share more, Tinder factors in interests and lifestyle descriptions members add to their profiles. Love hiking? Prefer someone who loves dogs? Users can focus on people with interests in common.
• Similar Photos - Beyond using what users tell us, we use anonymized cues from photos to help tailor recommendations. We’ll suggest profiles with similar photos to ones members have Liked before, and show their profiles to more people who have Liked members with photos similar to their own. For example, if users Like people enjoying the great outdoors, at festivals, or just enjoying the beach, we’ll take the hint. 
• Likes and Nopes - Likes and Nopes are obviously key pieces of insight into what users like. We are constantly honing the potential matches users see based on how often their profile - and all profiles in their area - are Liked or Noped. 

But there’s a lot we don’t consider...

Our algorithm doesn’t track social status, religion or ethnicity. We don’t believe in stereotypes. So whether users are celebrating Diwali, Carnival, Eid Al-Fitr, or Pride, we think the party gets better when great people from all walks of life can get together. Our algorithm is designed to be open and we love the results.

Tinder offers the opportunity to meet people who are outside of the usual friend or family environment. There’s a reason why there’s been an increase in interracial marriages since Tinder’s launch. And we have the emojis to celebrate it, too.

Elo Score

A few years ago, the idea of an “Elo score” was a hot topic among users and media alike. And sometimes, it still is. Here’s the scoop: Elo is old news at Tinder. It’s an outdated measure and our cutting-edge technology no longer relies on it.

Today, we don’t rely on Elo — we have a dynamic system that continuously factors in how you’re engaging with others on Tinder through Likes, Nopes, and what’s on users’ profiles.