In an interview with Reuters Next, CEO Renate Nyborg said that Tinder is exploring ways to blur the boundaries between offline and online worlds.
The company's newly launched Explore feature was the focus of the chief executive of the Match Group Inc-owned dating app. Users can choose their own adventure and match with others based on their choices, such as Swipe Nights.
She said that the company is testing in-app currency that daters will use to pay for premium services and receive it as rewards for good behavior on the app.
Nyborg was asked about the company's plans for dating in the metaverse and said that they've been talking about a Tinderverse internally, which is more about blurring the lines of offline and online. The metaverse refers to the idea of shared virtual spaces that people can access through different devices and where they can move through digital environments. One of the many tech companies that are making bets on metaverse technologies is the virtual reality VR or augmented reality AR Facebook, which recently changed its name to Meta Platforms Inc.
The dating app Bumble said during its November earnings call that it wants to prepare for whatever comes in the metaverse. Nyborg said Tinder was still focused on helping people meet in real life.
She said that while the COVID 19 epidemic showed that it was possible to feel connected only through the internet, it also showed the importance of real-life connections.