New research has found that using dating apps is a pleasurable, respectful, reliable experience that enriches people’s lives and connections. OK, we’re joking – new research has actually found that using dating apps causes big hormone issues linked to stress and addictive behaviour.
Elsewhere this month, there’s been a massive personal data and photo leak from some niche dating apps that has raised huge safety concerns. In more positive news, the likes of Tinder and Bumble are making new drives to get more users verified on their apps, to help cut down on scammy and fake accounts.
All this and more in out latest dating app news roundup.
Tinder and Bumble push ID verification
Tinder and Bumble are both pushing verification processes, as they seek to crack down further on fake and scammy profiles on the dating apps.
Tinder had already rolled out identity and age verification on the app in countries including the US, UK and Mexico, and is set to roll it out in countries including France, Germany, Spain and Italy later in 2025. Verification is optional, and can be done by uploading a video selfie and ID document to the app.
Bumble, meanwhile, has also recently rolled out ID verification in countries and 11 regions, including the US and UK. The verification is done through the third-party verification service Veriff, and also involves uploading official ID (such as a passport or driving license scan), plus a selfie.
Verification on dating apps isn’t particularly new, with Tinder using biometric verification tools in some regions way back in 2020. With dating app scams still common it’s good that verification is being pushed more, though, making us wonder if we’re soon going to get to a point where it’s compulsory.
Tinder and OpenAI launch ‘The Game Game’
Many dating apps are rushing to launch new AI functions to help reinvigorate the gradually declining sector, leading to conversations about the ethics of AI-assisted online dating. Should app users really be allowed to have an AI chatbot ‘prompt’ their messages, when we’re constantly told that dating should be about “authenticity”?
Anyway, Tinder is attempting to portray the fun-fun-fun side of AI in dating apps by launching a new AI game called The Game Game, made with OpenAI.
Launched in April 2025 and supposedly available for a limited (unspecified) time period, the game creates an AI persona for you to interact with by sending it voice notes. The idea is that the AI personas can often lead you down ridiculous conversational situations. You earn a ‘flame’ score based on your conversational skills, and feedback, bringing a ‘dating coach’ element to the game.
Or you could, you know, try to match with a human on the app and message with them.
Duet matches users based on shared interests
The latest warrior to step into the dating app industry arena is Duet, an app that promises to match people largely based on shared interests and ‘tags’, designed for people who want to find love with like-minded souls.
On the app you can add tags to your profile that go far beyond the usual ‘Likes gigs’ standards of depth. You can mark yourself as a ‘Vintage Fashion Treasure Hunter’, ‘Disney Magic Dreamer’, ‘Matcha Maniac’, or a chihuahua owner, for example. These tags help the algorithm select who to present to you as a potential match.
It’s a simple idea, sort of Tinder-meets-match. There’s also a ‘blind date’ function called Duet Clic, which presents matches based on shared interests with no bio info or photos.
A review on Her Campus was decidedly lukewarm about Duet, noting that there are many nagging pop-ups encouraging you to pay to access functions, and that as a new app there don’t appear to be many people on it, yet.
But hey, if you really, really love matcha, this could end up being the one.
Massive specialist dating app user info leak
Almost 1.5 million images uploaded by users of dating apps aimed at LGBTQ+ users, plus those interest in kink, were recently found to be publicly available online.
An investigation by Cybernews found that reams of sensitive data and information, including the photos, uploaded and held on some apps developed by M.A.D Mobile Apps Developers Limited, were exposed. The apps affected were BDSM People, CHICA, TRANSLOVE, PINK and BRISH.
Cybernews found that the apps were similarly affected because they used the same design architecture. The sensitive data was accessible along with the apps’ code, stored online without password protection.
Much of the personal content was explicit, with the affected apps used by an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people.
Due to the sexual identity and interests-specific nature of some of the affected apps, the leak raised concerns about private sensitive information being potentially accessible to those who might use it nefariously. It also highlighted how we often take app developers’ promises about data security for granted.
M.A.D Mobile Apps Developers Limited said that the data and information in the leak was no longer available, after it was contacted by the researchers. It said: “We apologize to our users for any concern caused by the article and hope other developers will take this issue seriously.”
Dating apps are officially stressful and addictive
Using dating apps can have a direct impact on your cortisol and dopamine levels, to the degree that it resembles chronic stress disorder and addictive behaviour, a new study has found.
Research jointly undertaken by the Imperial College of Business in London, UK and the dating site eHarmony looked into how dating app usage affects hormone levels. Their research found that a significant amount of dating app users experienced cortisol and dopamine dysregulation leading to levels comparative to those suffering the aforementioned disorders and issues.
Basically, if the research is to be believed, using dating apps is addictive and makes you stressed.
That might not be news to anyone who’s invested much time in the swiping through the years and matches, but it’s always good to have our experiences confirmed by science. And while research bankrolled by companies with an interest in the sector being investigated should always be viewed with healthy scepticism, this probably isn’t a result that eHarmony views as hugely positive.
Hormone health expert Mike Kocsis said that dating apps impact the brain’s reward system pathway, potentially leading to neurochemical dependency and getting caught in an addictive cycle.
“They may experience dips in mood, irritability, and even anxiety as they crave the variable ratio reinforcement schedule,” Kocsis said.
To be fair, that sounds like most people we’ve met on the apps, so maybe there’s something in it.
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