OBSERVER.CO.UK – Bumble is rolling back recent changes and returning to its original “women make the first move” model in some markets. Men in Mexico and Australia can no longer message women first, while the feature remains in the UK. The reversal follows criticism that allowing men to initiate chats diluted Bumble’s core differentiation. That change was originally driven by legal pressure in the US, where the company faced mass arbitration claims.
Mark Brooks joined Agenda on DubaiEye, hosted by Georgia Tolley, to discuss the rise of online dating scams ahead of Valentine’s Day, and what dating apps are actively doing to prevent fraud and protect users through technology, moderation, and education.
HUBPEOPLE – HubPeople has partnered with Unpack’d Technologies to migrate dating apps Say Allo and DiHola onto HubPeople’s Affinity platform. The move shifts both established apps onto a fully managed, mainstream dating infrastructure. HubPeople handled large-scale user and asset migration, app updates, and new web capabilities, allowing the app teams to focus on users and community growth while platform operations are centralized.
QUEERTY – Blued launched in 2012 and rapidly surpassed Grindr to become the world’s largest gay dating app by user count. Founded by former police officer Ma Baoli, the app expanded beyond dating into social networking and HIV-related public health services, became publicly listed, and reached a multimillion-dollar valuation. Beginning in 2021, a broader LGBTQ+ crackdown under Xi Jinping led to increased censorship of queer platforms. In late 2025, Blued and its youth-focused sister app Finka were removed from app stores in mainland China and remain unavailable as of early 2026, with users awaiting a possible return. Chinese writer Yi-Ling Liu documents Blued’s rise and subsequent censorship in her book The Wall Dancers.
LINKEDIN – Dating app Breeze has partnered with Bolt to improve safety around first dates. The collaboration integrates Bolt ride booking directly into Breeze’s date confirmations, enabling users to arrange transport to and from dates more easily. According to Breeze survey, 34% of users worry about safety on first dates. Alongside transport integration, Bolt and Breeze released a free dating safety guide with practical advice before, during, and after a date, including boundary-setting and reporting concerns.
THE CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT – SacredSpark is a Catholic dating app co-founded by Emily Wilson Hussem and Daniël Hussem. It focuses on helping single Catholics connect with the intention of offline meetings and ultimately sacramental marriage. SacredSpark differs from other platforms by using audio/video prompts and an optional friend or family member as a matchmaker to encourage more intentional connections rather than superficial swiping. Since its launch on October 29, it has generated over 13,000 mutual matches.
MASHABLE – Hinge is testing Face Check (facial recognition) in Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Canada, with U.S. testing expected soon. The test was disclosed by Match Group during its Q4 2025 earnings call. Tinder already requires Face Check for all new U.S. users and plans a global rollout by end of Q1 2026. Match Group says Face Check has cut interactions with bad actors by 50%+ where implemented. Hinge is also piloting Direct to Date, a feature designed to speed up real-world meetups by letting matches share availability and preferred date activities. Testing is planned for spring.
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TECH BUZZ – Three Day Rule launched an AI-driven dating app in 2025 that removes swiping and relies on automated matching and AI-guided conversations. Users answer 100+ questions, and the AI selects matches from a pool of about 250,000 singles. A $25/month subscription includes guaranteed matches and AI-generated introductions. In practice, multiple matches opened with identical AI-written messages, resulting in scripted conversations and limited personalization. The product design places AI at the center of both matching and messaging, reducing spontaneous, user-led interaction.
TECH CRUNCH – Tinder is testing an AI feature called Chemistry to reduce swipe fatigue and dating app burnout. Currently piloted in Australia, the feature asks users questions and, if they opt in, analyzes patterns in their phone photos (such as hobbies, travel, or pets) to better understand interests. Instead of endless swiping, Chemistry delivers a small number of more relevant match suggestions.