Tinder Plans Update to Give Women Option to Message First
Popular dating app Tinder is planning to launch a new option that gives women the choice to be the first to initiate conversations with their future matches.
"Often, women don't really want the pressure of kicking off the conversation, but if they want it, that's great. Giving people the choice versus telling people how to engage is the big difference," Tinder owner Match Group's CEO Mandy Ginsberg told MarketWatch.
This option is reportedly an action point of the app to prevent offensive and inappropriate behavior from users of Tinder.
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But, the option for women to chat first is not an idea first employed by Tinder. The option is actually already available in another location-based dating app named "Bumble." According to its Facebook page, the app "has also successfully shaken up traditional gender roles in heteronormative dating... In heterosexual matches, the woman has 24 hours to make the first move and the man has 24 hours to respond."
Ginsberg said that this new feature is not a response to any other dating app. According to the Tinder CEO, the company has been discussing how to better serve their women users.
"We have to constantly listen to what women want and address their needs, not just on Tinder but on all products," she told MarketWatch. Match Group also owns Match.com, OkCupid and other online dating sites.
Ginsberg added that unlike Bumble, Tinder would be giving women the option to either disable or enable the feature of women-talk-first. "The feedback that we've heard is that women don't always want to be forced to make a move, so we want to give people the ability to choose," she said.
Meanwhile, Bumble reportedly supports Tinder's plans to launch the feature as it empowers women.
As of now, Tinder has not yet revealed when it plans to update the app with the women-talk-first option. But, users are expecting it to launch later this year.
