The new Tinder 'possibly swipe' feature lets you chat before you match

Could the arrival of the Tinder 'possibly swipe' feature be the end of awkward first dates?

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(Image credit: Getty Images / Oliver Rossi)

What do you think of the new Tinder 'possibly swipe' feature?

The pandemic has had an impact on all aspects of our lives, and especially our relationships. Thankfully when we were all stuck inside we had the best dating apps (and when the time called for it the best hands-free vibrators) to keep us entertained—but according to Tinder our dating habits have really changed, and swiping right and left just doesn't cut it anymore.

In the modern virtual world, online dating has become a bit of an art. You can find endless articles full of online dating tips, and we even know which Zodiac signs are the most popular on dating apps. But according to Tinder's CEO, the pandemic had led to us all wanting to get to know our potential partners before even considering meeting them in person.

What is the new Tinder 'Possibly Swipe' feature?

Jim Lanzone told the BBC that Tinder is now rolling out features to fulfill our need to  'possibly swipe' on our matches. The features let you chat for a period of time before you commit to the match.

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(Image credit: Getty Images / Catherine Falls Commercial)

Jim said: “People really leaned into getting to know people virtually, even having relationships virtually [through lockdown].

"The larger trend here is that people on Tinder coming out of Covid… just want to slow things down and get to know people first a lot more before they decide to match, let alone before they decide to go meet someone offline." He said they are seeing this more and more in Gen-Zs and early twenty-year-olds. 

One of the new features is called 'Hot Takes', where from 6pm to midnight, daters can answer questions with another user in a chat with it disappearing if no one responds for 30 seconds. Players can then either let the chat time out or match. 

You can also now add a video feature that Jim thinks resonates with Gen-Z's love of Tik Tok. An explore tab is also coming, which lets users find others who have shared their interests. 

The latest move seems to veer into social media platform territory rather than dating profile app, which could be fun for those that love SM. However, it could be a challenge to those that try and avoid it like the plague. Only time will tell. 

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.


Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.