Tinder launches ‘blind date’ feature which hides member’s profiles

Members will need to chat for a ‘short period of time’ before they can see the other person’s profile

(iStock)

Tinder has launched a new blind dating feature which pairs members up without them being able to view each other’s profile.

The feature, which will be rolled out globally, launches today, 10 February, after 41 per cent of Gen Z said they would go on a blind date but they weren’t sure how to set it up.

Called Fast Chat: Blind Date, the feature will be available in the ‘Explore’ section on Tinder and looks to focus on conversation, making this the first impression rather than photos.

The way it will work is Tinder will match you with someone else, based on your preferences, and if you both decide to match after chatting for a while only then will your full profiles be revealed.

It says members will answer a series of short icebreaker questions and will be paired with one another user based on commonalities.

(Tinder)

“They’ll then enter a timed chat, not knowing any details about the person on the other side of the screen aside from their answers to multiple-choice prompts like, ‘It’s OK to wear a shirt ____ times without washing it” and “I put ketchup on____,’”  a statement from Tinder explains.

“When the timer runs out, they can Like the other’s profile, which will be revealed if there is a match, or they can choose to get paired with someone new.”

The feature comes as Tinder says Gen Z are calling for “nostalgia” and “authentic connections”.

In a survey, the dating app found that 21 per cent of British Gen Z users said that blind dating is the old school date they’d love to become more popular.

In early testing of the feature, Tinder found that members who used Blind Date made 40 per cent more matches than those using other Fast Chat features with visible profiles.

Kyle Miller, VP of Product Innovation at Tinder said: “There’s something really special about letting conversation introduce someone’s personality, without the preconceptions that can be made from photos. The new Blind Date experience brings a surprisingly fun, banter-based way to interact and create connections.”

The launch of the feature comes the day before popular Netflix reality show, Love is Blind, is set to return to our screens.

The show sees people spend time in “pods” forming connections with other people without ever seeing their face and, ultimately, proposing to them at the end of the experience.

Several of the couples from season one of Love is Blind are still together two years on, so could blind dating be the key to finding a long-term partner? It’s worth a shot.