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Dating apps change faster than most of the people using them notice. A new button appears on the home screen, a subscription tier moves, a company that once floated at billions is sold for a fraction of that price. This is where we keep track.

Silhouetted hands forming a heart around the setting sun

APP UPDATES · 30.09.2026

Tinder launches Group Hangouts, letting friendship groups match with each other

After Double Date proved popular with under-30s, Tinder is scaling the idea up to whole friendship groups, with a shared chat and a plan to meet offline.

Couple sitting together on a riverside bench

WORLD · 29.09.2026

Singapore’s government launches FirstDate, a dating app for its own civil servants

One match at a time, verified by national ID and paired by a Nobel-winning algorithm: Singapore joins Tokyo and Seoul in trying to play matchmaker.

Couple about to kiss in a leafy park

WORLD · 28.09.2026

Hinge brings a waitlist and screenshot blocking to India in safety-first relaunch

New members in India may have to wait before they can like or match, and profiles can no longer be screenshotted, as Match Group's fastest-growing app tailors itself to a new market.

Couple smiling at each other at a street café table

REGULATION · 10.09.2026

California’s Adam’s Law brings age checks and time limits to AI companion apps

Signed on 10 September, the law requires companion chatbot operators to establish users' ages and sets strict defaults for children, from usage caps to bans on romantic roleplay.

Two people holding hands over coffee cups

REGULATION · 02.09.2026

Grindr to pay £26m to settle UK claim over alleged sharing of users’ HIV status

Nearly 12,000 UK users brought the case, which concerned Grindr's data practices before 2020. The company admits no liability but acknowledges a 'loss of trust'.

Couple talking across a table in a sunlit café

INDUSTRY · 04.08.2026

Match Group results: Hinge surges 22% as Tinder’s slide begins to slow

Revenue dipped and payers fell again, but Hinge kept growing fast and Tinder posted its smallest drop in daily users for ten quarters. Third-quarter figures land on 2 November.