Tinder is attempting to address a growing problem among its users – “swipe fatigue” – with a new, AI-powered feature called Chemistry. The feature, currently being tested, aims to reduce the overwhelming number of profiles users encounter, surfacing fewer, but more compatible matches.
Introduced in the last quarter of 2025, Chemistry leverages artificial intelligence to learn about users’ interests and personalities. This is achieved through interactive questions and, with explicit user permission, by analyzing photos within their camera roll. The goal is to move beyond the endless swiping that has become synonymous with the Tinder experience.
During Match Group’s Q4 2025 earnings call, CEO Spencer Rascoff explained that Chemistry offers users an “AI way to interact with Tinder.” He described a scenario where users answer questions and then receive “just a single drop or two, rather than swiping through many, many profiles.” This suggests a shift towards a more curated and targeted matching process.
The development of Chemistry comes as Match Group, Tinder’s parent company, seeks to reignite growth after nine consecutive quarters of declining paying subscribers. The company is also facing broader challenges, including user burnout and a decrease in new sign-ups. The introduction of AI-driven features is a key part of their strategy to reverse these trends.
While currently limited to testing in Australia and New Zealand, Match Group plans to expand Chemistry to additional countries in the coming months. Rascoff hinted that the AI capabilities within Chemistry will be expanded beyond the initial Q&A and camera roll analysis, suggesting further integration of AI into the Tinder experience.
The company’s broader AI strategy extends beyond Chemistry. Match Group has already implemented AI for photo selection, helping users choose their most appealing profile pictures, and for trust and safety tools, including scanning for potentially harmful messages. A recent feature, “Face Check,” utilizes facial recognition to verify user identities, resulting in a more than 50% reduction in interactions with malicious actors on the platform.
Tinder’s move away from the traditional swipe-based system reflects a recognition that the illusion of endless choice can be paralyzing for users. While the swipe mechanic popularized the app, it doesn’t necessarily translate to meaningful connections. Chemistry aims to address this by presenting a smaller, more relevant pool of potential matches.
Despite the focus on innovation, Match Group’s recent financial performance has been mixed. While the company reported Q4 revenue of $878 million and earnings per share of 83 cents – exceeding Wall Street estimates – weak guidance led to a stock decline on , before a partial recovery in premarket trading on .
To further boost engagement, Match Group is committing $50 million to product marketing for Tinder. This includes creator campaigns on TikTok and Instagram, designed to re-establish Tinder’s appeal, particularly among younger demographics, with messaging centered around the idea that “Tinder is cool again.”
Match Group is also focusing on addressing pain points specific to Gen Z users, including improving the relevance of matches, fostering authenticity, and enhancing trust within the app. This includes redesigning the discovery experience to reduce repetitiveness and leveraging features like Face Check to combat fake profiles and malicious activity.
New registrations on Tinder were down 5% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, and monthly active users decreased by 9%. However, Match attributes some improvements to AI-driven recommendations that alter the order in which profiles are shown to women, alongside other product experiments. This suggests that even incremental AI implementations are having a measurable impact on user behavior.
The success of Chemistry and other AI-powered features will be crucial for Tinder as it navigates a changing dating app landscape. The company’s ability to effectively address swipe fatigue and deliver more meaningful connections will likely determine its future growth and relevance.
