Tinder's change in phrasing means it's not just a game anymore
But some aren't ready for the dating app to 'degamify' and are already mourning it's original carefree approach
Tinder is not a game anymore, you guys.
In its latest update, the popular dating app has changed one of its most iconic phrases:
Instead of prompting users who get a match to either message their prospective partner or "keep playing," Tinder now instructs people to "keep swiping."
It's also eliminated the "Tell Your Friends" sharing button from the bottom of the main match screen.
The phrase "keep playing" was emblematic of the way Tinder has completely "gamified" dating.
Getting started is easy, since Tinder pulls pictures and information from a user's existing Facebook account, and choosing someone — "swiping right" on their profile — is based more on snap judgments about their photos than it is on reading about them.
Using it really does feel like "playing" — the ease of quickly swiping through profiles, the thrill of a match, and the endless flood of options makes Tinder more lighthearted and fun than dating-app alternatives where you have to read through paragraphs of profile information.
And now some users are mourning the carefree days of yore:
Of course, there are some people who thought that "keep playing" minimised the weight of their quest for romance, and for them, this change will likely come as a pleasant surprise:
A representative says the company is testing this new update with iOS users and that the fresh phrasing hasn't rolled out to all Android smartphone owners yet.
