Tinder Testing Female-First Feature in India

Tinder confirmed that it has been testing a new feature in India which allows women to choose whether or not they send the first message.

“My Move” can only be used in heterosexual matches. Women can toggle the setting on or off, depending on their preference.

Tinder has recently become the highest grossing Android app in India. However, this new update is only available on iOS for the time being.

The feature has been likened to Bumble’s main product design, which always allows women to message first. Match Group, Tinder’s parent company, has previously sued Bumble for patent violations, claiming it copied Tinder’s swipe feature.

Tinder is planning to roll out My Move worldwide if these initial tests go well. There is yet to be confirmation of this, but the fact that the tests have now been officially announced brings the feature one step closer.

TechCrunch reports that Tinder India GM Taru Kapoor said: “By giving our female users the ability to exclusively send the first message if and when they want to, ‘My Move’ provides women the autonomy to choose how to engage with their matches and empowers them to control their experiences.

“We believe that true choice is letting women be who they are and empowering their choice to shape their own identity and experiences.”

Kapoor has previously called for a National Consent Day to encourage work towards ending sexual violence.

Whitney Wolfe Herd has just announced that Bumble will begin to move into the Indian market this autumn, so these two female-first features could be going head-to-head very soon.

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