Well, partner, Tinder's ridin' into town with a newfangled feature that's gonna lean into the flashy reputation of them there datin' apps. They’re lettin' folks who pay for the privilege add a height preference to their profiles.
The Big Reveal
After a sharp-eyed cowpoke over on Reddit snapped a photo of this new height settin', a spokesperson from Tinder confirmed to the folks at TechCrunch that they’ve rolled this out as a global showdown.
Subscribers Get the First Shot
Tinder Gold and Premium folks are the lucky ones in this here test group who get to fiddle with this feature, leavin' free users to sit on the sidelines for now. Now, don’t go thinkin' it’s a strict rule or nothin’. It’s merely a suggestion rather than a hard-and-fast filter, meanin' it won't flat-out exclude profiles; it'll just help guide the recommendations.
"We’re always keepin' an ear to the ground on what’s important to our Tinder users," said Phil Price Fry, VP of Communications at Tinder, in an email. "Testin' this paid height preference is a prime example of buildin' with intent, urgency, and focus. Our aim is to help folks connect with more purpose on Tinder. Our new product principles are the North Star guidin' every decision, prioritizin' user results, quick action, and fast learnin'. Not every test sticks around for the long haul, but each one teaches us how to offer savvier and more relevant experiences, pushin' the boundaries ever forward."
A Bit of a Stir
Folks usually turn to datin' apps to filter down options by things like age or whether someone's lookin' to settle down with a family. This here height speciality might ruffle some feathers, though.
Looks and Length
Since the rise of datin' on the line, folks have been leanin' heavily on the physical attributes — looks and size, most notably — to see if somebody's worth a match. Tinder's platform, with its heavy focus on purdy lookin' pictures, has put the pedal to the metal on this trend.
The popularity of these apps has sown a culture of favorin' taller fellows, and it ain't rare to see profiles where gals stipulate their ideal partner needs to be at least six feet. Even if, truth be told, they might be more flexible in real life.
The Great Joke
Tinder's had themselves a laugh in the past about this craze, even pullin' an April Fools’ prank with a so-called "height verification" feature. Many a man chuckled not at all over that one. The whole situation's sparked other tall tales, like designer Soren Iverson dreamin' up a version where men could overrule height requirements for a small fee.
Raisin’ the Stakes
The introduction of a height preference might just be Tinder’s way of ropin' more women into ridin' this app and maybe even payin' for the trip. Ya see, menfolk seem to be roamin' the app in larger numbers across the U.S. and far beyond.
On the Horizon
This test is kickin' off at a time when Tinder’s parent company, Match, spotted a 5% dip in payin' users in their recent earnings. Paid subscribers across Match's wranglin' of datin' apps fell to 14.2 million in the first quarter, compared to 14.9 million just a year back.