Tinder and Hinge feel too much like 'a numbers game,' and that's a big problem, says Match's new CEO
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- Match Group's CEO said apps "have felt like a numbers game" for users — and he wants to change that.
- The company plans to address user frustrations and improve safety on its platforms.
- Match Group faces user decline amid a broader shift away from online dating platforms.
Users on apps like Tinder and Hinge think that parent company Match Group is too driven by metrics, said Match's new CEO.
"Too often, our apps have felt like a numbers game rather than a place to build real connections," Spencer Rascoff wrote in a letter to employees that he posted on LinkedIn on Thursday. "That needs to change."
Rascoff said that he wants to bring the focus back to users. He's creating a channel for employees to confidentially share their "unvarnished feedback" on products and zeroing in on trust and safety.
On an earnings call last month, Rascoff said the company is working on an "ecosystem cleanup" by tackling bad actors, which he said would benefit the business.
"I've heard incredible stories of love," Rascoff wrote in Thursday's letter. "But I've also heard frustration — from users searching for real, meaningful matches and expecting more from the experience."
Rascoff, who joined Match as CEO last month, cofounded real estate platform Zillow and was the CEO for over a decade.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Rascoff's overhaul follows a broader sentiment shift away from online dating. Swiping fatigue and the rising costs of going on dates are leading many users to ditch apps for outlets that allow in-person connections.
Between May 2023 and the end of 2024, more than half a million users left Tinder, according to a report from the UK-based online behavior research group Ofcom.
Match had 9.5 million paying users across platforms in the quarter ending in December, a 5% drop from the same period a year ago.
Match's stock is down nearly 10% in the last year, while rival Bumble is down 55%.