Tinder Launches Group Hangouts as Dating Apps Push Toward Social, Real-World Experiences
Tinder launched Group Hangouts, letting groups of friends match and plan activities with other groups, as the dating app pushes users toward social, real-world experiences amid declining users.
With Group Hangouts, users start by choosing an activity and inviting at least two friends to join. Once a group has at least three members, its profile can appear in Tinder's main card stack, where other groups can discover it. A group can have a maximum of 15 people. Users can browse other groups and like one that interests them. If at least one person from each group likes the other, the groups are connected in a shared chat, giving everyone a chance to make plans together.
Tinder is giving users some control over how the experience plays out. Members can leave a conversation without leaving the friend group, and they can block or report another participant if they become uncomfortable. The feature is available at the top of Tinder's main home screen and is rolling out in phases in the United States and select markets. Additional markets are expected to follow.
Group Hangouts builds on Tinder's earlier push into group-oriented dating. Last year, the company launched Double Date, which lets users pair up with a friend and browse other pairs. Group Hangouts expands the number of people involved and shifts the experience away from a traditional one-on-one date toward something more like a social outing.
Claire Watanabe, vice president of product management at Tinder, told TechCrunch in an email that one inspiration was seeing a college women's volleyball team make a Tinder profile while traveling for away games so they could explore a new town and meet locals. She said the company was seeing groups stay fairly tight, with most people hanging out with their close circle of friends rather than organizing something huge.
Tinder has been pushing users toward more real-world experiences for some time. In March, the company launched an Events tab that lets users discover local activities such as speakeasies, bowling and pottery classes. This month, Tinder expanded its in-person events to dozens of additional cities. Bumble is moving in a similar direction, with its new Plans feature designed to connect people in real life in more casual, group-oriented settings.
The launch comes as Tinder works to re-engage users during a difficult stretch. Tinder's revenue declined in the latest quarter, while monthly active users fell 7% in the second quarter, after an 8% decline in the previous quarter.