My favorite explanation of Tinder comes from the Netflix series Easy -- "it's like a game," says one of the one-off characters explaining the app to her married friend.
She goes on to say that you either get coffee dates or bar dates off the app and ends up sleeping with the ones she went on bar dates with.
"That's the difference between coffee and a vodka."
In the next scene the husband has the same conversation with one of his PT clients whose telling him how the app works. He later recounts the conversation at home with his wife saying, "There's guys all over the place -- within a 3-mile radius of her, and she's getting it three times a week."
That episode came out in 2016, and in 2019, with more than Tinder out there to choose from when it comes to dating apps, a lot of what was said is still true.
But what is Tinder like today? Is it still the same as this episode describes? Can people still hookup as easily as this show claims?
If you need an updated perspective on the dating app to see if it's still worth the download as when it first gained traction, here it is.
Tinder today looks very different than when it first launched, but it's changed for the better.
It's one of the best-looking apps on the market, dating or otherwise.
Its iconic colors are recognized everywhere, as a result of great marketing and brand identity.
It's easy to navigate between screens and find what you're looking for, and when you first sign up, they'll show you what buttons to press on someone's profile to view certain things.
Tinder's sign-up process is the same as it's always been, however.
You get the choice of using your phone number to create an account, or log-in through your Facebook account.
You may be skeptical of connecting your Facebook account to your Tinder because you "don't want them to collect information" from you, but let's face it, Facebook is already data harvesting your every move.
Using your Facebook account for a quicker sign-up process on a dating app should be the least of your worries. You also don't have to worry about any of your friends seeing that you use Tinder because they don't share that.
It can be beneficial to use your Facebook profile to fill out your information, including pictures, since it automatically takes them from your account. But you can also decide to build it from the ground up by using your phone number and filling in your info manually.
Once you've uploaded some profile pictures, written your Tinder bio, and connected a few apps to display on your profile, you're ready to start swiping.
Giving Tinder access to your location is the most important part, obviously, of hooking up with people in your area. You'll want to turn this on so you can see all the hot people near you that you could be fucking.
The swiping motion is pretty simple to get the hang of -- swipe right if you like someone and swipe left if you don't. You can also swipe up to view more info about someone and tap right and left on their pictures to see more.
If somebody sees your profile and they like you too, it'll become a match once they swipe right back. Your matches will appear in your messages area where you can view everyone you've matched with and start a conversation with them.
Unlike one of Tinder's competitors Bumble, men usually will have to make the first move and send the first message.
Now, you can usually tell who's DTF and who's looking for love on Tinder based on their profiles. Some people will write in their descriptions what they're looking for, say "no hookups," only want friends or state that they're "open to whatever." If someone isn't specific about what they're looking for, it's safe to assume that you should try to see if they'd be down to hook up.
Talking on Tinder, however, has grown increasingly harder. Conversations dead quicker than a goldfish you bring home from the fair.
Some say it's even harder to take Tinder convos outside of the app, but it all depends on you and your communication skills.
While Tinder is known as the biggest dating app, is it really the best? What are the features like, and what is it lacking?
Tinder does not have many features in reality. It's a pretty basic app when you really look at it.
You'd think they'd have a lot more cool features, or plans on adding them, to make the app better and continue to be relevant amongst newer dating apps bringing exciting features to the dating app scene.
But, let's take a look at what they do have.
As I mentioned, you can connect other social and music apps to your Tinder account to make it more interesting.
Your Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Spotify accounts can all be connected to your Tinder account to display basic info about yourself, including what your top artists and songs are.
You can even choose an "anthem" to display on your profile.
But other than that, there's not much else you can show on your profile.
Tinder recently added looping videos, i.e., Boomerangs, as something you could add to your profile pictures to make them more interesting, though. But other dating apps we've seen, like Hily, have made it possible to add stories to your profile, which I think Tinder could really benefit from.
You do have the option, however, to add your sexual orientation and gender to your profile if you choose, but even then the options are scarce.
You can also add your job title, where you work, and where you go to school.
The basics.
If you've chosen to connect your Facebook to your Tinder, and you come across someone else who also has their Facebook connected, you can view your common interests and any mutual friends you may have.
If you have premium features, you can Super Like somebody to get their attention than their other matches better, and you can view who's liked you if you have the upgraded version of Tinder, as well.
You can send GIFs, bitmojis, and emojis in your messages to other Tinder users.
Tinder also has different modes for certain users. College and university students, for example, can access TinderU and match with people only at their school or on nearby campuses.
There's also Spring Break mode which is available during the month of March and match with others heading to the same vacation destination as you.
There's also Tinder Festival Mode and Passport Mode that anyone can use as long as they're attending a festival or traveling.
Festival mode is a badge users can add to their profiles when they're attending a music festival to grab other attendees' attention.
Tinder Passport is available to paying members to connect with anyone around the world when they plan to travel. You can search by city or drop a pin on the map to start swiping and connecting with Tinder users in other locations, and you can switch between your current location and future ones.
When it comes to paid features, they're really only useful if you want to be nosey or you fuck up on Tinder a lot.
Depending which subscription you choose, either Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold, you get access to different features.
All of the paid features consist of unlimited likes, the ability to rewind your last swipe, 5 Super Likes per day, 1 Boost a month, Passport, see who's liked you, get new Top Picks every day, and no ads.
Apparently, Tinder charges users who are 30 and older more for Tinder pLus than their younger counterparts if you're outside of California. They settled the age discrimination lawsuit filed against them earlier this year in January, but only changed costs back to being the same for everyone in California, where the lawsuit was filed.
If you are outside of California and under 30, or you do live in California, you can get Tinder Plus at a rate of:
If you are 30 or older in a state outside of California, you can get Tinder Plus at a rate of:
The same applies for Tinder Gold. Users under 30 can enjoy lower prices if they reside outside of California, while older users pay more for the same services, but the tier prices don't apply to Tinder users in California.
Prices for Tinder Gold are as follows:
Everyone's on Tinder. If you're looking for the dating app with the most users and most options in your area, the safest bet is probably Tinder.
It's also super easy to use that it won't take you long to get started and swiping.
You also don't have to spend money on the app, unless you want to, to get use out of it. Some dating apps restrict features so much that they leave you no choice to but to try out the trial period of their subscription service, which costs money when it ends.
One thing Tinder is missing that would really improve the app, in my opinion, is a section on your profile where you can choose, like you would your sexual orientation, what kind of relationship you're seeking.
It can be a downside that there's a mix of every kind of dater on Tinder, but with this feature, it'd make it easier for people to see who's down for a casual relationship, hookups, or serious dating.
There's also no photo verification system on Tinder, so it's easier to get fooled by a fake profile. I've come across profiles that use influencer picture to try to catfish people that appear to be real if you didn't know the person in the pictures.
Also, the age-based pricing model for their subscription services is pretty ridiculous.
Tinder is still a great option for any single looking to have fun and meet new people. Whether you're looking for a relationship, casual fun, or even new friends, Tinder is the place every single (or couple) goes to find someone to connect with.
While in comparison it may not be the best or most exciting app nowadays against all these competing dating and hookup apps, it still seems to be the app most people prefer. It's the best option to see the most people in your area as it's become a cultural norm and a staple app in a single person's life.