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Build Dating App Like Tinder – 100% Matched Guide for Developers

Published On September 5th, 2025

Code to Create, Code to Build, now it’s Code to Connect. 

In 2024, Scrolling on social media changed to Swiping on a dating app. Since relationship decisions start with a right or left swipe, around 381 million people worldwide use online dating apps like Tinder.

If you’re looking to build a dating app like Tinder, your matchmaking to success is more strong. 

But the right features, along with the relevant technical stacks, require more attention. 

Even before the developmental stage, there are several stages, like market research, user behavior, competition prediction or analysis.

To make your Android dating app developmental process clear and the chances to build a competitive dating app with the features of in-app chat and video calls, here is our guide for you! 

Industry Standards of Dating App 2024 – In Terms of Revenue 

You may probably wonder why you should consider this guide on “how to build dating apps like Tinder?”

Let’s break this question into two parts: why to consider this guide. 

Here are the top most dating apps in the market with their revenue:

  • Tinder: Thriving $40 billion with its simple and gamified dating and, most importantly, control over the users. 
  • Bumble: $14 billion popped with more control over Tinder, Bumble acquires global market with their chat control option for women. 
  • Badoo: Acquired $10 billion globally as the game, social search, and quiz within Facebook, later built as a stand-alone dating application like Tinder and Bumble. 

Back to our second part of that question: Dating apps like Tinder. With impressive features, Tinder is the global leader in dating apps and the leading service provider. 

Types of Dating Apps 

Let’s Know the App that you want to build & what all available to build

Generally, the core objective of dating apps is to find users’ perfect match, which could be based on their interests. So, basically, every dating app has the same forms and formats but different features and user experiences. 

Apps like Tinder go for a broad audience, and others go for a specific audience or niche audience. 

For instance, Tastebuds is an online dating app that pairs music lovers. And you won’t believe this: there’s another dating app, Veggly, best for Vegans and Vegetarians.

Ready To Integrate
Chat API Into Any Web & Mobile App?
  • Unlimited Customization
  • Host Anywhere You Want
  • One Time License
Request Demo

The Developmental Phase to Create a Dating App

Key Features of a Dating App

Developing and deploying the app will not bring you any benefits. The features in your dating app determine whether your users hook up with the app before they engage with other users. 

By analyzing the various dating apps in the market, we came up with the necessary ones to include in your app. 

  1. Gamification

Don’t assume that you should gamify human relationships. Of course, every dating app has user profiles, but that doesn’t mean it has to follow the same cookie-cutter format. 

The main objective of the gamification concept is to retain users by implementing strategies to invite others and break the “who goes first” conversation. 

  1. In-App Chat & Messaging

So you break that initial ice-breaking conversation with gamification, but what next? The in-app chat and messaging features make your dating app engine run. 

To know about each other, build a better relationship, full potential chat and in-app messaging comes to play. Adding voice call and video calling will benefit more to improve the real time conversation. 

Moreover, integrating the in-app chat features is also a considerable option for using chat API and messaging SDKs for added competitive advantage.

  1. Algorithms that Match

To build a dating app, to make that work as a dating app, there should be a matching algorithm that matches one user to another based on their preferences, interests, and the app’s activity metrics. 

Some of the matching algorithms for all common and niche apps include:

  • Based on Location: It basically depends on the GPS technology to analyze, find, and match the users in the same or nearby geo-locations.
  • Based on Mathematical: This algorithm matching is based on the users’ answers to questions about their interests, preferences, and political views.
  • Based on Behavior: It’s the log data that derives based on how the users interact with the app.
  1. Push Notifications

Another preferable feature is that it will make users visit the app when they find any match or get any messages. Through push notifications, users will make their interactions often.

As mentioned above, if you want to enable in-app chat in your existing dating app, you can help the push notifications feature with easy integration.

Technology Stack for Building a Dating App

This section of the article covers the technology stacks available to build a dating app like Tinder, including other aspects of development like process, tools, design, programming languages, and security. 

Let’s split this section into two aspects: one will explain the design and architecture of the dating app, and the other will cover the technology stacks.

Design & Architecture

Before developing a dating app, consider user personas and user flows. If you’re planning to develop a specific niche app rather than Tinder, create your user personas to get better traction. 

If you’re not sure about user persona, approaching app development and consultation companies will set you forth. 

Dating App Architecture

To build a dating app MVP, you’ll have to consider the following architecture to make the application viable, which includes

  • Interface and User Experience
  • Privacy and Security
  • Authentication and Authorization
  • Secure Connection Between Servers
  • Performance and Scalability

Interface and User Experience

Even though today’s users are tech-savvy, comparatively, they’re less forgiving towards confusing and hard-to-find user interfaces. Make the app’s interface easy to navigate.

Privacy and Security

While the dating app directly involves the users’ data, implementing top-notch security is essential. Ensure the messages in the in-app chat dating app are encrypted and prioritize device security to prevent unauthorized access to user information.

Authentication and Authorization

It’s unarguably indispensable to say that protecting a dating app with solid authentication and authorization for security mechanisms. 

Implementing these will support privacy, session management, identity management, and device security. 

Secure and Seamless Communication Between Servers

Dating apps like Tinder relate with other systems such as back end servers, cloud based services, GPS, chat based servers, etc. 

For securing these communication channels implement SSL (sockets layer), TLS (transport layer security) protocol to evaluate and validate security.

In addition to this make sure your APIs for chat, voice and video are secured.

Performance and Scalability

The developer or the business brain behind the dating app idea should consider the app’s scalability before the developmental phase.

For instance, you may plan to build a dating app for a particular niche, but there’s always a chance that your app might take off with a flux of users. Plan and always leave room for scalability.

Technology Stack to Build a Dating App like Tinder

For maximum mobile app usage, it’s better to choose cross-platform frameworks like React Native. 

Furthermore, Tinder is a live example of a dating app that supports cross-platform development and is built on React Native. For better smooth performance, it’s worth considering Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android with Python for the backend.

API and SDKs for Building Your Own Dating App

If you’re in the stage of building a dating app, APIs and SDKs are a great choice for getting started. 

Instead of building from the ground up, you can build as building blocks by integrating custom APIs for chat, machine learning, and AI like Amazon ML, Rapid API, and MonkeyLearn.

Building In-App Chat for Your Dating App

Creating matching algorithms and crafting intuitive user interfaces let users’ profiles connect with each other. But how about they hook up and build their relationship? 

Obviously, this involves sharing their interests, wishes, and thoughts through text, voice, or action. In this case, in-app chat is inevitable for each dating app. 

As a developer, you may think about which is better: building chat from scratch or using the best available APIs in the market.

Considering that building a chat feature from scratch requires more time, expertise, infrastructure, and solid security, it ultimately costs more time and money.

On the other hand, APIs and messaging SDKs allow for the most customization, allowing developers to explore all kinds of chat apps more quickly. 

You can even own your in-app chat features that align with your dating app’s purpose, voice, and branding by leveraging self-hosted in-app chat as the efficient option. 

Final Thoughts

In busy lives, dating apps like Tinder offer a convenient way for people to get into relationships with their perfect ones. 

Since people are looking for time-saving yet featured dating apps, your application should impress them before their partner. Starts with perfect algorithms, interface, and more; your app should satisfy their feature expectations.

The good thing is that you don’t need to run behind the coding libraries as developers or run behind the developers as investors; smart APIs and SDKs are available to reinvent performance and effort. 

With the smart way, start building your chat app in minutes. 

The #1 Self-hosted Chat & Video Calling Solution For Any Apps

Get 1000+ messaging features along with video and voice calling, into any web or mobile app with end-to-end encryption.

Contact Sales
  • Complete Ownership
  • On-Premise Hosting
  • Multi-tenancy Support

Further Articles

Alexander

View More Posts

This guy is a blogging freak. He craves to blend the finest words to deliver meaningful, informative content in the most engaging way. This dude loves to craft content on tech blogs with a thorough piece of information. When he’s not writing, researching, or editing, you can catch him riding into unknown terrains and scribbling quotes.

create a dating app like tinder

Code to Create, Code to Build, now it’s Code to Connect. 

In 2024, Scrolling on social media changed to Swiping on a dating app. Since relationship decisions start with a right or left swipe, around 381 million people worldwide use online dating apps like Tinder.

If you’re looking to build a dating app like Tinder, your matchmaking to success is more strong. 

But the right features, along with the relevant technical stacks, require more attention. 

Even before the developmental stage, there are several stages, like market research, user behavior, competition prediction or analysis.

To make your Android dating app developmental process clear and the chances to build a competitive dating app with the features of in-app chat and video calls, here is our guide for you! 

Industry Standards of Dating App 2024 – In Terms of Revenue 

You may probably wonder why you should consider this guide on “how to build dating apps like Tinder?”

Let’s break this question into two parts: why to consider this guide. 

Here are the top most dating apps in the market with their revenue:

  • Tinder: Thriving $40 billion with its simple and gamified dating and, most importantly, control over the users. 
  • Bumble: $14 billion popped with more control over Tinder, Bumble acquires global market with their chat control option for women. 
  • Badoo: Acquired $10 billion globally as the game, social search, and quiz within Facebook, later built as a stand-alone dating application like Tinder and Bumble. 

Back to our second part of that question: Dating apps like Tinder. With impressive features, Tinder is the global leader in dating apps and the leading service provider. 

Types of Dating Apps 

Let’s Know the App that you want to build & what all available to build

Generally, the core objective of dating apps is to find users’ perfect match, which could be based on their interests. So, basically, every dating app has the same forms and formats but different features and user experiences. 

Apps like Tinder go for a broad audience, and others go for a specific audience or niche audience. 

For instance, Tastebuds is an online dating app that pairs music lovers. And you won’t believe this: there’s another dating app, Veggly, best for Vegans and Vegetarians.

Ready To Integrate
Chat API Into Any Web & Mobile App?
  • Unlimited Customization
  • Host Anywhere You Want
  • One Time License
Request Demo

The Developmental Phase to Create a Dating App

Key Features of a Dating App

Developing and deploying the app will not bring you any benefits. The features in your dating app determine whether your users hook up with the app before they engage with other users. 

By analyzing the various dating apps in the market, we came up with the necessary ones to include in your app. 

  1. Gamification

Don’t assume that you should gamify human relationships. Of course, every dating app has user profiles, but that doesn’t mean it has to follow the same cookie-cutter format. 

The main objective of the gamification concept is to retain users by implementing strategies to invite others and break the “who goes first” conversation. 

  1. In-App Chat & Messaging

So you break that initial ice-breaking conversation with gamification, but what next? The in-app chat and messaging features make your dating app engine run. 

To know about each other, build a better relationship, full potential chat and in-app messaging comes to play. Adding voice call and video calling will benefit more to improve the real time conversation. 

Moreover, integrating the in-app chat features is also a considerable option for using chat API and messaging SDKs for added competitive advantage.

  1. Algorithms that Match

To build a dating app, to make that work as a dating app, there should be a matching algorithm that matches one user to another based on their preferences, interests, and the app’s activity metrics. 

Some of the matching algorithms for all common and niche apps include:

  • Based on Location: It basically depends on the GPS technology to analyze, find, and match the users in the same or nearby geo-locations.
  • Based on Mathematical: This algorithm matching is based on the users’ answers to questions about their interests, preferences, and political views.
  • Based on Behavior: It’s the log data that derives based on how the users interact with the app.
  1. Push Notifications

Another preferable feature is that it will make users visit the app when they find any match or get any messages. Through push notifications, users will make their interactions often.

As mentioned above, if you want to enable in-app chat in your existing dating app, you can help the push notifications feature with easy integration.

Technology Stack for Building a Dating App

This section of the article covers the technology stacks available to build a dating app like Tinder, including other aspects of development like process, tools, design, programming languages, and security. 

Let’s split this section into two aspects: one will explain the design and architecture of the dating app, and the other will cover the technology stacks.

Design & Architecture

Before developing a dating app, consider user personas and user flows. If you’re planning to develop a specific niche app rather than Tinder, create your user personas to get better traction. 

If you’re not sure about user persona, approaching app development and consultation companies will set you forth. 

Dating App Architecture

To build a dating app MVP, you’ll have to consider the following architecture to make the application viable, which includes

  • Interface and User Experience
  • Privacy and Security
  • Authentication and Authorization
  • Secure Connection Between Servers
  • Performance and Scalability

Interface and User Experience

Even though today’s users are tech-savvy, comparatively, they’re less forgiving towards confusing and hard-to-find user interfaces. Make the app’s interface easy to navigate.

Privacy and Security

While the dating app directly involves the users’ data, implementing top-notch security is essential. Ensure the messages in the in-app chat dating app are encrypted and prioritize device security to prevent unauthorized access to user information.

Authentication and Authorization

It’s unarguably indispensable to say that protecting a dating app with solid authentication and authorization for security mechanisms. 

Implementing these will support privacy, session management, identity management, and device security. 

Secure and Seamless Communication Between Servers

Dating apps like Tinder relate with other systems such as back end servers, cloud based services, GPS, chat based servers, etc. 

For securing these communication channels implement SSL (sockets layer), TLS (transport layer security) protocol to evaluate and validate security.

In addition to this make sure your APIs for chat, voice and video are secured.

Performance and Scalability

The developer or the business brain behind the dating app idea should consider the app’s scalability before the developmental phase.

For instance, you may plan to build a dating app for a particular niche, but there’s always a chance that your app might take off with a flux of users. Plan and always leave room for scalability.

Technology Stack to Build a Dating App like Tinder

For maximum mobile app usage, it’s better to choose cross-platform frameworks like React Native. 

Furthermore, Tinder is a live example of a dating app that supports cross-platform development and is built on React Native. For better smooth performance, it’s worth considering Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android with Python for the backend.

API and SDKs for Building Your Own Dating App

If you’re in the stage of building a dating app, APIs and SDKs are a great choice for getting started. 

Instead of building from the ground up, you can build as building blocks by integrating custom APIs for chat, machine learning, and AI like Amazon ML, Rapid API, and MonkeyLearn.

Building In-App Chat for Your Dating App

Creating matching algorithms and crafting intuitive user interfaces let users’ profiles connect with each other. But how about they hook up and build their relationship? 

Obviously, this involves sharing their interests, wishes, and thoughts through text, voice, or action. In this case, in-app chat is inevitable for each dating app. 

As a developer, you may think about which is better: building chat from scratch or using the best available APIs in the market.

Considering that building a chat feature from scratch requires more time, expertise, infrastructure, and solid security, it ultimately costs more time and money.

On the other hand, APIs and messaging SDKs allow for the most customization, allowing developers to explore all kinds of chat apps more quickly. 

You can even own your in-app chat features that align with your dating app’s purpose, voice, and branding by leveraging self-hosted in-app chat as the efficient option. 

Final Thoughts

In busy lives, dating apps like Tinder offer a convenient way for people to get into relationships with their perfect ones. 

Since people are looking for time-saving yet featured dating apps, your application should impress them before their partner. Starts with perfect algorithms, interface, and more; your app should satisfy their feature expectations.

The good thing is that you don’t need to run behind the coding libraries as developers or run behind the developers as investors; smart APIs and SDKs are available to reinvent performance and effort. 

With the smart way, start building your chat app in minutes. 

The #1 Self-hosted Chat & Video Calling Solution For Any Apps

Get 1000+ messaging features along with video and voice calling, into any web or mobile app with end-to-end encryption.

Contact Sales
  • Complete Ownership
  • On-Premise Hosting
  • Multi-tenancy Support

Further Articles

Alexander

View More Posts

This guy is a blogging freak. He craves to blend the finest words to deliver meaningful, informative content in the most engaging way. This dude loves to craft content on tech blogs with a thorough piece of information. When he’s not writing, researching, or editing, you can catch him riding into unknown terrains and scribbling quotes.

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