Tinder is looking to artificial intelligence to help combat “overwhelming burnout” and dating app fatigue

Tinder is turning to a new AI-powered feature, Chemistry, to help it reduce so-called “swipe fatigue,” a growing problem among online dating users who feel overwhelmed and are looking for better results.

Launched last quarter, the Match-owned dating app said Chemistry leverages artificial intelligence to get to know users through questions and, with permission, access the Camera Roll on their phone to learn more about their interests and personality.

On Match’s Q4 2026 earnings call, a Morgan Stanley analyst asked for an update on the product’s success to date.

Match CEO Spencer Rascoff noted that Chemistry is only being tested in Australia at the moment, but said the feature provides users with “an AI way to interact with Tinder.” Users can choose to answer questions and then “get just one or two drops, instead of scrolling through many, many profiles,” he explained.

In addition to its chemistry Q&A features and camera rolls, the company plans to use the AI ​​feature in other ways in the future, the CEO also hinted.

Most importantly, Rascoff said the feature is designed to combat swipe fatigue — a complaint from users who say they have to swipe through too many profiles to find a potential match.

The company’s shift toward artificial intelligence comes as Tinder and other dating apps face a decline in paying subscribers, user fatigue, and a decline in new signups.

In Q4, new registrations on Tinder were still down 5% year over year, and the number of monthly active users was down 9%. These numbers show some slight improvements compared to previous quarters, which Match attributes to AI-based recommendations that change the order of profiles shown to women, and other product trials.

This year, Match said it aims to better address common pain points of Generation Z, including relevance, authenticity and trust. To do this, the company said it is redesigning detection to make it less repetitive and is using other features, such as Face Check – a facial recognition verification system – to reduce bad actors. On Tinder, the latter led to a more than 50% reduction in interactions with bad actors, Match noted.

Tinder’s decision to start moving away from swiping toward more targeted, AI-powered recommendations could have a major impact on the dating app. Today, the swiping method, popularized by Tinder, encourages users to believe they are selecting a match from an endless number of profiles. But in reality, the app offers the illusion of choice, as matches must be two-way to connect, and even then, a spark cannot be guaranteed.

The company posted an earnings beat in the fourth quarter, with revenue of $878 million and earnings per share of 83 cents per share above Wall Street estimates. But weak guidance sent the stock lower on Tuesday, before rising again in pre-market trading on Wednesday.

Beyond AI, Match will also increase its product marketing to help boost Tinder engagement. Rascoff noted that the company is committing to spending $50 million on Tinder marketing, which will include creator campaigns on TikTok and Instagram, where users will claim that “Tinder is great again.”