Dating Apps Add Friend Testimonials and Meetups as User Losses Push Return to Real-World Friction
Updated
Updated · Semafor · Jul 15
Dating Apps Add Friend Testimonials and Meetups as User Losses Push Return to Real-World Friction
3 articles · Updated · Semafor · Jul 15
Summary
Hinge said friends and family can now add profile commentary, while Tinder and Bumble have begun organizing in-person meetups to make dating feel less purely app-driven.
Those changes come as dating platforms lose users and younger people increasingly pull back from technology, pushing companies to add community and deliberate friction instead of more seamless automation.
Hinge’s new “Friend’s Take” feature lets users add up to three testimonials from friends, family or colleagues, extending profile input beyond the account holder.
The shift mirrors a broader tech pullback from frictionless design, with streaming returning to live programming and ads, workplaces resisting AI note-takers, and professors moving back toward in-person exams.