How to Make a Dating App like Tinder?

I guess many famous love dramas would have ended differently if people had designed dating apps much earlier. Jack Dawson would spend the evening going out instead of winning tickets onto Titanic in a poker game. Romeo and Juliet would avoid such a tragic end and find their loved ones through Tinder. Yet, this is another story.

Speaking of today, dating app development is still a perspective idea. Although we can’t measure love in numbers, it’s possible to give you some figures around the mobile dating market:

• 80% of people who used dating apps left satisfied with their experience. (Source: Statista)
• Online dating to $1,610m in 2022. (Source: Statista)
• Annual growth of the industry is about 5% and it’s not going to decay. (Source: IBISWorld)

So we in Stormotion aren’t surprised that many startup founders all over the world are wondering how to build an app like Tinder. But why like Tinder and not another application? Go ahead and find the answer in the following paragraph!

?? Why is Tinder the King?

Launched in 2012 on both iOS and Android platforms, Tinder rapidly became a digital hornbook for lonely millennials of the XXI century and Cupid’s main competitor in creating couples in love. However, by 2012 we already had dozens of dating apps: take eHarmony, Match Mobile, Are You Interested?, Skout and other apps who had a million downloads so far as examples. How did Tinder manage to get on the top of this “love-selling” pyramid?

• The first undeniable component of their success lies in the geolocation module that allowed building matches based on geographical proximity.

For users it meant that the person they’re talking to doesn’t live on the other side of the country, making the real-life meeting almost impossible. From the developer’s perspective, it’s a perfect early example of connecting hardware pieces of users’ devices with a dating app to provide users with a better experience.

• Just one word: swipes. Swipes for Tinder are the same as the Eiffel Tower for Paris – they just can’t be separated. The logic of its work is simple as that: you can swipe left if it’s not your prince (or princess) on the white horse yet and you want to move on, or you can swipe right to make a match.

This ingeniously simple feature provided users with a stunning UX. On the one hand, it made the app intuitive, easy-to-use and user-friendly. On the other, it added an element of “uniqueness” to Tinder and allowed it to stand out from its competitors.

Yet, if you want to create a dating app like Tinder, our best advice for you – don’t do it like Tinder. Undoubtedly, Tinder has revolutionized the whole mobile dating market with its swipes and geolocation module, but it was way back in 2012. Expecting to surprise someone with the Tinder clone in 2018 is the same as expecting to surprise your new girlfriend or boyfriend with an iPhone 3G.

What should you do in such a situation? Take only the best practices and create a dating app that meets expectations of modern users.

We in Stormotion have a deep understanding of the modern mobile market and users’ preferences as it’s one of our core tasks along with development. Therefore, we will provide you with 2 interesting lists. Which ones? Read on to find out!

?? The Whole Kit and Kaboodle: 7 Features for your Dating App MVP

The following features are just as important as the first impression on a date. Neglect something and you won’t have another chance to sink into the minds of your users and conquer their hearts. So take it seriously.