Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Tinder parent company Match hooks up with rival Hinge
- Tinder parent company Match has bought a 51 percent stake in Hinge.
- Hinge focuses on “thoughtful relationships” and it uses profiles instead of swiping.
- Match reportedly now owns 45 different dating brands.
Match Group Inc., the parent company of Tinder, has purchased competing dating app Hinge. According to The Verge, Match bought a 51 percent stake in the subscription-based app and now owns 45 different dating brands.
Hinge calls itself a “thoughtful” dating app and aims to help users foster deep connections through its matching process. Its Google Play page says it offers an “alternative to swipe culture” — “swiping” being the quick-fire match-up process that apps like Tinder use — with a more robust matchmaking system and a greater focus on natural conversations.
According to The Verge, Bumble is now the only major dating app not owned by Match Group. Like Hinge, Bumble also promotes more respectful interactions and tries to avoid the “hook-up app” identity that’s a red flag for some potential dating app users. The move means Match can now compete more directly with its one remaining competitor.
Additionally, Match Group could be trying to put itself in as strong a position as possible before Facebook unveils the dating service it announced earlier in the year. While details are currently light on what Facebook’s service will entail, the sheer number of people signed up to Facebook means it could become a major competitor to Match Group.
If you want to give Hinge a go, you can download it from Google Play by clicking on the button below.