How to create an app like Tinder

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Technological progress has affected everything in our lives, even how we meet new people and establish connections. That’s why dating apps are so trendy nowadays. Statistics reveal that the online dating market’s revenue is going to reach $3.2 million in 2021. So, if you want to develop a custom product for online dating, now is the time. 

If you are thinking about building a dating application like Tinder, you will find lots of useful information in this article. Let’s take a closer look at the development.

What is Tinder, and Why is it so Popular?

Tinder is a dating application available on both iOS and Android devices. Its key feature is the geographic location of people. Tinder also utilizes Facebook accounts to analyze user information and suggest matches concerning geolocation, mutual acquaintances, or hobbies. Users can adapt the age range and gender of the people they are looking for. 

Its user-friendliness and attractive interface explain the popularity of Tinder. The smooth user experience begins when a user logs in with Facebook, and the app automatically receives all the data from there. Let’s have a closer look at the basic Tinder functionality that you can utilize in your application.

Tinder features

• Easy login and registration
• Search filters
• Geolocation
• Private chat

For access to all the other features, you need to purchase Tinder Plus.

6 Steps to Develop a Dating App Like Tinder

If you are wondering how to build a dating app, here is our guider for starting project development.

Step 1. Defining your idea

Before you hire a team, you need to develop your idea. Simply cloning Tinder or any other famous app won’t make your business successful. You should clarify your aims and see whether they are relevant for a target audience by researching the market. Find your ideal users and specify their needs. 

Step 2. 5 Essential Features of an App Similar to Tinder

You may involve the features we mentioned above, but you will also need to add something unique and original. Here are a few ideas for excellent features that will make your application stand out among the competitors.

1. AI-powered algorithms

They enable making more effective matches according to the users’ preferences that they gather automatically.

2. Enhanced Security

Security is one of the main issues of such applications. Using AI technology, you can verify the users’ ID with less risk and build a reliable environment for secure online searching. 

3. Detecting and Blocking Spam

Spam damages the reputation of a dating app. Implement tools that will monitor suspicious activities and block messages if sent to numerous users.

4. Blocking Ads

Involve payments for experience without ads. But make sure it works well with the monetization strategy you chose.

5. Profile boost

This feature will make your profile more visible to others. It will be useful for those who want to get to know more people.

Step 3. Choosing a Tech Stack

This is a practical stage where you need to bring your idea to life. Don’t underestimate finding the right development company for your project. A typical technology stack to build an app like tinder will involve JavaScript, Python, PHP, and HTML5 as coding languages for web versions. If you want to go for a native mobile application, you will probably need Swift, Kotlin, or Java, depending on the operating system and other peculiarities.

When it comes to third-party services, you can integrate Stripe or PayPal for smooth payments or Google Analytics to effectively track user activity and gather data. 

Step 4. Create a Great Design

A good UI/UX design plays a crucial role in dating applications. You need to be original and don’t distract users with complicated layouts. There is no one-size-fits-all design, but you need to mind user behavior patterns and psychological and social factors. Make sure your application is not overwhelmed with graphics or buttons and balances images and text. Your design should be attractive, engaging, and simple. Pay attention to easy navigation and include an attractive app logo. You could also add gamification components to engage the users even more.

Step 5. Making Money With a Dating App. The Best Strategies

Have a look at the most popular ways of gaining profit from a dating application.

1. Freemium

You charge your users a fixed cost to upgrade their profile and show it more frequently in the search results.

2. Advanced swipes

This feature works on an ML-powered algorithm that changes the way users’ photos appear in search results.

3. Likes

For instance, users get restricted likes, messages, etc. They need to upgrade their account to get access to unrestricted likes.

4. In-app gifts

Use paid gifts, such as flowers, kisses, etc., so that users can purchase and exchange them.

5. Advertisements

Many apps use this strategy and make money from other businesses for the ability to display ads. Usually, the charge model is per click or mile.

Step 6. Launch an MVP

It is essential to examine whether your application is relevant to real life and the idea is valid. Try to receive maximum feedback from your users to make more effective product upgrades.

How Much Does it Cost to Create an App Like Tinder?

This is probably the most burning question that arises in the mind of any person who wants to make an app like tinder. Let’s have a closer look at the approximate expenses. We estimated how many hours you will need for native development on both Android and iOS platforms.

• Analysis – 80 hours
• UI/UX design (Android) – 200 hours
• UI/UX design (iOS) – 200 hours 
• Frontend (Android) – 510 hours
• Frontend (iOS) – 500 hours
• Backend (iOS) – 680 hours.
• Backend (Android) – 740 hours.
• QA (Android) – 160 hours
• QA (iOS) – 160 hours

If you decide on native development, it can be up to $50,000 – $60,000. But take into account that the budget mostly depends on the hourly wage of the developers you pick.

Ending Note

A dating app can become a gainful investment. However, the process itself can be tricky and time-consuming. It also requires the expertise and experience of a strong development team. Hopefully, our guide gave you more insight into the development process, and you are ready to build and present your excellent solution to the market.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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