For those college students who are happy with dating apps (and there aren't many), Tinder on Wednesday announced a series of updates to Tinder U, an in-app feature aimed at current college students ages 18 to 24. These include new badges that can be added to your profile, such as graduation year, major, clubs and Greek life. Other smaller updates include a more simplified sign-up for students and an exclusive Tinder U app icon for iOS users.
Tinder is also offering U.S. students a 50% discount on Tinder's premium subscriptions (Plus, Gold and Platinum) in hopes of attracting more paying users to the platform after losing 400,000 paying users in the past quarter.
It's also the time of year when Tinder holds its annual “Swipe Off” challenge: the college with the most swipes wins a free concert. This year's concert features rappers Gunna and GloRilla.
Image credit: Tinder
The new badges replace the details typically found on a profile, such as job title, work history, hometown, etc. The goal is to help students have more intimate conversations related to their interests on campus.
“This is perfect for new users starting on Tinder during their first week of college,” Stephanie Danji, Tinder's senior vice president of global marketing, told TechCrunch. “It's a great way to ease first-day jitters, especially if you don't know anyone at your new school or are getting accustomed to a new city.”
Tinder has simplified the sign-up process for students by allowing new users to immediately sign up for Tinder U. Previously, college students had to sign up for Tinder first and then separately for Tinder U. Now, Tinder U has a unified sign-up process, creating a seamless onboarding experience.
Students using the iOS app can go to Settings and select “App Icons.” From there, they can customise their Tinder app by selecting a new, dedicated Tinder U icon designed to reflect a dating experience just for students.
Tinder U's Swipe Off Challenge is set to become a much-anticipated event among users. Starting today, educational institutions across the country can compete to win a free concert based on the percentage of right swipes (yes) or left swipes (no). Last year, 5,000 Arizona State University (ASU) students won free tickets to Saweetie's show. Past winners have enjoyed performances by Charli XCX (2019) and Cardi B (2018). The challenge ends on October 2.
Image credit: Tinder
Tinder U's latest update comes at a time when some college students and younger users are moving away from online dating. According to a survey conducted by Axios and Generation Lab, 79% of college students either don't use dating apps or use them less than once a month. Tinder turned out to be the most popular app, but only 12% of students used it at least once a month.
Numerous studies have documented a shift in the dating behavior of young singles who are leaning towards non-traditional methods, such as connecting on networking platforms like LinkedIn or creating resume-style dating profiles to share with others in Google Docs.
In-person meetings are also becoming popular again, with a variety of “IRL” dating apps (such as Blush, Buffet, Thursday, Whim and Meet Cute) capitalizing on this trend.
Image credit: Tinder
Despite the changing dating landscape, Tinder U's product remains strong. The company reports that its membership numbers are growing at an average of nearly 90% year-over-year. Tinder also claims to be the number one most downloaded app among 18-year-olds.
“Right now is the peak time for students to sign up for Tinder, with freshman orientation being the time when we see the largest influx of new 18-year-old users,” Danji said.
Tinder U (Tinder Uni in the UK) launched in 2018 and is available to students at accredited, four-year, non-profit colleges and universities. Tinder U requires current students to enter a valid student email address (.edu in the US, .ac.uk in the UK).