Kieran Smith

It made users feel like dating was very impersonal.

And ultimately, Raskov said that that had put users, including women, off the app because they simply didn't feel like they were getting what they needed.

The other thing to note, of course, is that dating apps have always been subject to criticism for allowing bad actors and scammers on their apps and not introducing enough features to help prevent that.

And Raskov had identified that as a key problem, particularly with female users who didn't feel as safe using the app as maybe they had done on its competitors.

Since he's come in, he's launched a wave of new features to appeal not only to female daters, but also to younger dates as well, those in Gen Z. And that includes double dates, that includes allowing people to match based on shared interests, such as music.

It also has seen them launch pioneering new features, although it's in trial phase at the moment, such as video calls, so you can suss out the person you're going to go on a date with before you actually meet them.

And ultimately, they've also put a huge amount of investment into trust and safety.

Tinder has become one of the first apps to introduce mandatory facial recognition for new users.

And they can check whether, A, you've been banned from the app before for bad behavior, and B, whether your face actually does match who you say you are.

Yeah, I think there's a lot of lazy stereotypes that get out there about dating apps.

Match Group and Bumble have lost a lot of market value since they were first publicly listed.

But that's not necessarily because the sector is struggling.

That is because they are struggling in the face of new arrivals.

We're in a period of real change in the sector.

It's matured now.

15 years ago, dating apps were a new thing.

Now they're not.

Most people do or have used dating apps in their life.

And ultimately, these things aren't going away.

but there is increasing competition as to which is the best option for those looking to meet that special person.