Tinder: the biggest pool, mixed intentions.

What is Tinder?

Tinder is the swipe app that made dating apps mainstream. It launched in 2012, is owned by Match Group and works in more than 190 countries, on iPhone, Android and the web at tinder.com.

It isn’t a hookup site as such. People use it for everything from a drink tonight to a long-term relationship, so the trick is being clear about what you want.

How Tinder works

Sign up, add photos and set who you want to see and how far away. Then swipe: right to like, left to pass. When two people like each other, it’s a match and you can start chatting.

In more and more countries, new members have to pass Face Check, a short video selfie that proves you’re a real person. You can also get a blue Photo Verified tick, and the Safety Toolkit lets you unmatch, block and report.

Free vs Plus, Gold and Platinum

The free version lets you swipe, match and message, with a limit on how many likes you can send.

Tinder Plus adds unlimited likes and rewinds, Passport (swipe in another city) and no ads. Tinder Gold adds See Who Likes You, weekly Super Likes and a monthly Boost. Tinder Platinum adds Prioritized Likes, so yours get seen sooner. Prices depend on your country and plan length, and subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel.

Is Tinder good for hookups?

It can be, mostly because of the numbers: in most cities nothing else comes close. But you’ll swipe past plenty of people looking for something serious, and bots and scammers are a regular complaint in reviews.

Say what you’re looking for in your bio. If you’d rather meet people who already want the same thing, apps built for it, like Feeld or Pure, waste less of your time.