Tinder Launches New Feature that Lets Users Block People Based on Phone Number to Make Dating Experience Better

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 04 June 2021, 06:06 pm

Tinder is finally letting users avoid anyone they might not want to run into on a dating app. The company announced on June 4 that it will allow users to block their phone contacts.

Tinder's New Blocking Tool

Users can access the feature from their settings under the "Block Contacts" menu, where they can define which contacts they'd like to block.

Tinder stated it won't store everyone's contacts - only the ones that users have chosen to block - and users can unblock or disconnect their contacts list at any time.

Also Read: Tinder Blames Google and Apple for Failure to Keep Away Underaged Dating App Users

Blocked contacts won't be notified they've been blocked. If blocked individuals have since changed their phone numbers and re-join Tinder, their accounts could still surface, according to Engadget.

Besides ex-partners, Tinder points out users can use the blocking tool not to see family members, coworkers, and college professors.

Tinder's Latest Updates

Aside from preventing users from having an awkward run-in on the app, Tinder has also made sure that it will minimize offensive messages on the platform.

The company plans to start rolling out "Are You Sure?" This is a feature that uses artificial intelligence to automatically detect offensive language.

If offensive language is found, the program will ask users if they're positive they want to send that message, forcing them to pause before doing so, according to The Verge.

The company's been testing the feature and says people who saw the prompt were less likely to be reported for inappropriate messages over the next month. Tinder takes this feedback to mean that users are adjusting their behavior over the long term.

Other companies have employed similar technology, including, most notably, Instagram, which rolled out warnings for potentially offensive captions in 2019.

Instagram also automatically hides comments its AI determines offensive. It also recently expanded the system to block words that might be purposely misspelled to avoid people's comment filters.

Although Tinder isn't outright blocking messages, it's pushing people to reconsider whether their message might be enough to make the app at least somewhat safer and more welcoming.

Last month, Tinder also launched Vibes, an in-app event that takes place weekly. The event presents users with a series of questions about anything and everything under the sun.

Answers will be displayed on participants' profiles for 72 hours, and users will be able to see how your matches responded.

Udi Milo, Tinder's VP of Product, said they built Vibes to help make profiles as dynamic as their members while giving them more to match along the way.

Throughout the pandemic, Tinder has introduced several features, from video chatting to Tinder U, to facilitate virtual dating, according to Fast Company.

Though an increasing number of people are getting vaccinated and meeting up in real life, Vibes is the app's latest attempt to grow engagement and help users gauge compatibility without leaving the house.

Tinder's user percentage skyrocketed in 2020, as people were forced to stay at home for months, and the only way to communicate was through social media platforms. With the continuously increasing number of users, it is possible that we will get more updates and features from the dating app.