Tinder to use AI to get to know users, tap into their Camera Roll photos | TechCrunch

"Tinder is looking to AI to revitalize its dating app, which has now reported nine straight quarters of paying subscriber declines, as of the third quarter this year. The dating app maker, Match Group, told investors on Tuesday's earnings call that Tinder is testing a feature called Chemistry that will get to know users through questions and, with permission, will access Camera Roll photos on users' phones to learn more about their interests and personality."

"The feature is already being piloted in New Zealand and Australia, and will be a "major pillar of Tinder's upcoming 2026 product experience," said Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff. Match isn't alone in requesting access to users' private Camera Roll photos. Meta also launched a feature last month that asks to use its AI on photos on your phone that you haven't yet shared in order to suggest AI edits."

"In both cases, the benefits to the end user for permitting this kind of expanded access are negligible. In Match's case, the company says it will engage users with interactive questions and learn more about them using AI technology so it can recommend better, more compatible matches. Presumably, that would look something like this: if you had photos of yourself outside hiking or climbing, you might be matched with someone who shared the same outdoor hobbies."

Tinder is testing an AI-powered feature called Chemistry that asks users questions and, with permission, accesses Camera Roll photos to learn about interests and personality. The feature is piloting in New Zealand and Australia and is slated as a major pillar of Tinder's 2026 product experience. Meta has introduced similar phone-photo AI features. The expanded photo access offers limited clear benefit to users beyond matching based on visible hobbies. Match Group forecasts a $14 million negative impact on Tinder direct revenue from the testing and lowered Q4 guidance to $865–$875 million versus analysts' $884.2 million estimate. Tinder also uses AI to nudge potentially offensive messages and help users pick their best photos.

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