Tinder is introducing a new AI-driven tool called Chemistry to address increasing "swipe fatigue," a common issue where dating app users feel overwhelmed and seek more meaningful connections. Launched last quarter, the Match-owned app explained that Chemistry uses artificial intelligence to understand users better through personalized questions and, with consent, can access their phone’s Camera Roll to gain insights into their interests and personality.

During Match’s Q4 2026 earnings call, a Morgan Stanley analyst inquired about the feature’s progress. Match CEO Spencer Rascoff shared that Chemistry remains in testing exclusively in Australia but described it as offering an "AI way to interact with Tinder." He elaborated that instead of swiping through numerous profiles, users can answer questions to receive "just a single drop or two" of curated matches.

Beyond its current question-and-answer and Camera Roll capabilities, Rascoff hinted at broader future applications for the AI feature. He emphasized that Chemistry is specifically designed to tackle swipe fatigue, a frequent user complaint about the excessive swiping required to find potential matches.

This shift toward AI comes as Tinder and similar platforms face challenges like declining paying subscribers, user burnout, and reduced new sign-ups. In the fourth quarter, Tinder’s new registrations were still down 5% year-over-year, and monthly active users fell by 9%. However, these figures mark a slight improvement over previous quarters, which Match credits to AI-driven recommendations that adjust the order of profiles shown to women, along with other product tests.

This year, Match aims to focus on resolving common Gen Z concerns, such as improving relevance, authenticity, and trust. Efforts include redesigning discovery to reduce repetitiveness and implementing tools like Face Check—a facial recognition verification system—to limit malicious accounts. On Tinder, Face Check has already reduced interactions with bad actors by more than 50%.

Moving away from the iconic swipe toward more precise, AI-powered suggestions could significantly reshape the dating app experience. The swipe model, popularized by Tinder, often gives users the impression of limitless choice. In practice, however, matches require mutual interest, and even then, a genuine connection is never certain.

Match reported strong fourth-quarter earnings, with revenue reaching $878 million and earnings per share at 83 cents, both exceeding Wall Street expectations. However, softer future guidance initially led to a stock dip on Tuesday, though shares recovered in Wednesday’s premarket trading.

Alongside AI innovations, Match plans to ramp up product marketing to enhance engagement on Tinder. The company has allocated $50 million for Tinder marketing, including creator-led campaigns on TikTok and Instagram where users will promote the idea that "Tinder is cool again," as Rascoff highlighted.