Popular dating app Tinder has introduced a new AI-powered feature designed to help users select their best profile pictures and get more matches.
The new “Photo Selector” feature picks the best photos from a curated selection of images directly on a user’s device. The feature requires users to take a selfie, grant access to their device’s camera roll (photo library), and let AI do the rest. The initial selfie is used for the required facial recognition technology. The app then scans through a person’s photos to find pictures of them, and selects the best ones, although Tinder offers no details about what traits the AI looks for. Users should refer to Tinder’s Terms of Use to understand precisely what it means to give the app access to the content on their device before doing so.
What is clear is that a good profile image significantly impacts a person’s success on dating apps. Tinder points to a recent online survey of 7,000 respondents between 18 and 25 years old that shows 85% of singles believe their dating app profiles should represent their true selves. 52% of respondents think it is challenging to select a profile photo, and 68% of people believe an AI photo selection assistant would be helpful to them. Respondents claim they spend an average of about 33 minutes selecting the right picture for their profile.
Internal Tinder user data shows that most single heterosexual women prefer men’s profiles with at least four photos that “genuinely reflect their personalities.” Men with more than one face photo in their profile are 71% more likely to match with women.
Tinder isn’t the first dating app to introduce AI. OKCupid teamed up with AI photo editing platform Photoroom earlier this year to use AI to remove exes from dating profile photos.
“With Photo Selector, Tinder offers a digital companion that curates a diverse selection of photos from users’ camera roll optimized to help users find a match,” Tinder promises. The company adds that its new AI tech will help users spend less time fussing over picking the right photo and more time making genuine connections with others.
“We’re proud to be the first dating app to roll out an AI tool that can make the profile-building experience significantly easier — an area we know is one of the hardest parts of dating. As the category leader, we’re pushing ourselves to define the industry’s best use cases for meaningful consumer AI integrations,” says Faye Iosotaluno, CEO of Tinder.
“As demonstrated by our Photo Selector feature, we’re developing AI tech to assist you in making decisions, not to make them for you. Our commitment to our users is clear and equally applies to our view of AI: at Tinder, we develop innovative technologies to create a safer space for people to make authentic connections,” Iosotaluno continues.
Tinder offers additional tips to help users take better photos and get more dates. Tinder’s resident dating expert, Devyn Simone, recommends users take well-lit images in natural light, prioritize photos that only include themselves, clean their lenses to ensure photos are sharp, have fun, and use recent photos.
Photo Selector will be available to users on both iOS and Android in the United States starting this month and will roll out to additional markets later this summer.
Image credits: Tinder