Tinder adds video verification to boost security on the app

Tinder is bulking up its user verification process in a likely attempt to build more trust on the dating platform.

Any user that opts into verification will soon have to take a video selfie as part of that process. In the past, users were prompted to take specific, static selfies that could be matched up against their profile pictures to verify authenticity.

The process is still optional; Tinder isn’t requiring that users be verified. Almost 40% of all members, though, have undergone the verification process, which results in the user receiving a public blue checkmark.

“Tinder daters consistently tell us that photo verification is one of their most valued safety features,” Rory Kozoll, Tinder’s senior vice president of product integrity, said in a statement. Users aged 18 to 25 are 10% more likely to match with someone if they’re photo verified, Kozoll said. “The tool provides one more way to help members better assess the authenticity of their match.”

Users who were already photo verified will still have to complete the video selfie in the coming months. During the company’s testing, Tinder found that more were were likely to complete the process through the introduction of a video selfie. The company will start prompting all new members to photo verify when they set up a profile, which pushes the feature to the forefront.

Verified users will be able to select “Photo Verified Chat” in message settings to ensure they only receive messages from other verified daters. Users can also ask people to verify before a message is sent. Tinder will also allow some paying users to only see other photo verified users in their recommendation center.

The verification efforts come as Tinder is working on a larger rebrand away from its “hookup app” status into a platform for finding long-term relationships. The company recently launched its first ever global brand campaign in an effort to take back its narrative.