Tinder users are matched with each other through some system that nobody knows about - until now. A recent report revealed that the application uses a special algorithm that assigns a desirability score for each user, which determines their match.
The popular dating app uses what is known within the company as an "Elo score," according to The Next Web. This tool, to put it simply, ranks users from the most desirable to the least and proceeds on matching those within the same level or within a user's league. Tinder claims that this is crucial in securing potential dates.
So what exactly are the criteria for desirability? Thankfully, it is not all about your profile photos or your attractiveness because an algorithm was specifically developed for this purpose. Tinder did not reveal the exact variables being evaluated but Sean Rad, Tinder CEO, provided some clues. "It's not just how many people swipe right on you," Rad said. "It's very complicated. It took us two and a half months just to build the algorithm because a lot of factors go into it."
It appears the algorithm partly relies on the manner by which other users browse your profile - if they stay on or merely swipes by.
"Every swipe is in a way casting a vote: I find this person more desirable than this person, whatever motivated you to swipe right," Chris Dumler, data analyst at Tinder, told Fast Company. "It might be because of attractiveness, or it might be because they had a really good profile."
It is, therefore, understandable that some observers are concerned about the "desirability" scoring. While it could help users find the correct match, it could marginalize people who fall outside the norm, noted Engadget.
