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brand Tinder
tagline The world's most popular dating app. Swipe right to match, chat, and meet.
category Dating
website https://tinder.com

Tinder — Information Architecture

Overview

Tinder is the world's most popular dating app, pioneering the swipe-to-match interaction that has defined mobile dating. The mental model is discover → swipe → match → chat → meet — users see one profile at a time in a card stack, swipe right to like or left to pass, and mutual likes create a match that unlocks conversation. Tinder's IA is uniquely minimal: there's no search, no browsing, no profiles to explore — just the card stack, the match list, and chat. The algorithm decides what you see; you just swipe.

Site Map

├── Discover (Card Stack)
│   ├── Profile Card
│   │   ├── Photos (swipe through, up to 9)
│   │   ├── Name, Age
│   │   ├── Distance
│   │   ├── Verified Badge (photo verified)
│   │   ├── Bio (short text)
│   │   ├── Job + Company
│   │   ├── School
│   │   ├── Passions / Interest Tags (foodie, hiking, travel, etc.)
│   │   ├── Anthem (Spotify song)
│   │   ├── Instagram Photos (linked)
│   │   ├── Relationship Intent (looking for: LTR, casual, friends, unsure)
│   │   └── Basics (height, zodiac, exercise, education, drinking, smoking, pets)
│   ├── Action Buttons
│   │   ├── ✕ Pass (swipe left)
│   │   ├── ⭐ Super Like (swipe up, limited)
│   │   ├── ❤️ Like (swipe right)
│   │   ├── ⚡ Boost (increase visibility)
│   │   └── ↩️ Rewind (undo last swipe, premium)
│   ├── Tap Card → Expanded Profile (full photos, bio, details)
│   └── Filter Quick Access
├── Match List / Messages
│   ├── New Matches (top row, scrollable)
│   │   ├── Match Thumbnails (unread, no message yet)
│   │   └── Tap → Open Chat
│   ├── Conversations (below, sorted by recent)
│   │   ├── Active Chats
│   │   ├── Unread Indicator
│   │   └── Last Message Preview
│   └── Feed (matches' activity, deprecated in some markets)
├── Chat
│   ├── Message Bubbles (text)
│   ├── GIFs (Giphy integration)
│   ├── Reactions
│   ├── Photo Sharing
│   ├── Spotify Song Share
│   ├── Video Chat (in-app)
│   ├── "Are We a Match?" (Tinder interactive games)
│   ├── Unmatch (removes chat history completely)
│   ├── Block / Report
│   └── Safety Tips
├── Likes (Who Likes You)
│   ├── Received Likes
│   │   ├── Free: Blurred grid (can see count, not profiles)
│   │   ├── Gold/Platinum: Full profiles, swipe from here
│   │   └── Tap → Like Back = Instant Match
│   ├── Sent Likes (Platinum only)
│   └── Top Picks (curated daily selection)
├── Explore
│   ├── Top Picks (algorithm's best daily suggestions)
│   ├── Vibes (interactive question stickers)
│   ├── Hot Takes (speed-matching during limited hours)
│   ├── Swipe Night (choose-your-own-adventure events)
│   ├── Festival Mode (find people at same event)
│   └── Passport (change location, premium)
├── Profile (Own)
│   ├── Photos (9 slots, drag to reorder)
│   ├── Smart Photos (auto-optimize order based on performance)
│   ├── Bio
│   ├── Passions (select from list: cooking, gaming, yoga, etc.)
│   ├── Relationship Intent (what you're looking for)
│   ├── Basics (height, exercise, education, etc.)
│   ├── Lifestyle (zodiac, pets, smoking, drinking)
│   ├── Job Title + Company
│   ├── School
│   ├── Living In (city)
│   ├── Anthem (Spotify integration)
│   ├── Connected Instagram
│   ├── Photo Verification (selfie verify)
│   ├── Profile Preview (see how others see you)
│   └── Edit Info
├── Settings / Preferences
│   ├── Discovery Settings
│   │   ├── Location (current or Passport)
│   │   ├── Distance (1-100 miles slider)
│   │   ├── Age Range (18-100 slider)
│   │   ├── Gender Preference
│   │   ├── Global Mode (show me people around the world)
│   │   └── Show Me on Tinder (toggle discoverable)
│   ├── Subscription
│   │   ├── Free / Plus / Gold / Platinum (comparison)
│   │   ├── Current Plan
│   │   └── Manage
│   ├── Notifications (matches, messages, likes, promotions)
│   ├── Privacy
│   │   ├── Block Contacts (hide from phone contacts)
│   │   ├── Hide Age
│   │   ├── Hide Distance
│   │   └── Incognito Mode (only visible to people you like, premium)
│   ├── Account (phone, email)
│   ├── Safety
│   │   ├── Photo Verification
│   │   ├── Block & Report
│   │   ├── Safety Tips
│   │   └── Noonlight Integration (emergency services)
│   ├── Snooze (pause profile temporarily)
│   └── Delete Account
└── Safety Center
    ├── Photo Verification
    ├── Block & Report
    ├── Safety Tips ("Meeting Someone New")
    ├── Community Guidelines
    ├── Share Date Details (with friends)
    └── Resources

Navigation Model

Layer Pattern Behavior
Bottom Tab Bar 4 tabs Discover (flame), Explore (diamond), Matches (chat), Profile
Card Stack Full-screen, one card at a time Swipe gestures: right=like, left=pass, up=super like
Match List Split: top (new matches) + bottom (chats) New matches = horizontal scrollable row
Chat Full-screen conversation iMessage-style, with special features (GIFs, games)
Settings Gear icon from Profile Sliders for age, distance, preferences

Gesture Model

Gesture Action
Swipe Right Like
Swipe Left Pass
Swipe Up Super Like
Tap Photo Next photo
Tap Card Body Expand full profile
Long Press Photo Pause on photo

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
User name, age, gender, photos[9], bio, passions[], job, company, school, city, verified, anthem_song, relationship_intent, basics{height, exercise, education, zodiac, drinking, smoking, pets} has Likes, Matches, Messages
Like from_user, to_user, type (like/super_like), message (Platinum), timestamp between Users
Match user_a, user_b, matched_at, status (active/unmatched), last_message_at connects two Users
Message match, sender, content, type (text/gif/image/song/game), sent_at, read belongs to Match
Preference age_range, max_distance, gender[], global_mode, discoverable belongs to User
Subscription plan (free/plus/gold/platinum), features[], renews_at belongs to User
Report reporter, reported, reason (spam/inappropriate/underage/other), details between Users
TopPick user, date, premium_only daily curated
Boost user, activated_at, duration, type (boost/super_boost) belongs to User

Match Flow

A swipes right on B → if B already swiped right on A → MATCH! → Chat unlocked → Confetti animation
A swipes right on B → B hasn't seen A yet → A appears in B's "Likes" → B swipes right → MATCH!
A swipes right on B → B swipes left → No match (A never knows)

User Flows

Core Swipe Loop

Open App → Discover → See Profile Card → Swipe Photos → Read Bio → Swipe Right (Like) → Next Card → ... → MATCH! → "It's a Match!" Screen → [Send a Message] or [Keep Swiping]

Super Like

Discover → See Great Profile → Swipe Up → ⭐ Super Like Sent → They See You With Star Badge → Higher Chance of Match → If Match: Special Animation

Start Conversation

Matches Tab → New Match Row → Tap Match → Chat Opens → Send Message → Wait → They Reply → Conversation → Suggest Meeting

Verify Profile

Profile → Photo Verification → Take Selfie Mimicking Pose → AI Compares to Profile Photos → Verified ✓ → Blue Checkmark Badge

URL / Route Structure

Tinder is almost exclusively a native mobile app. Web routes are limited.

/                              → Landing / Download App
/app/discover                  → Card Stack
/app/likes                     → Who Likes You
/app/matches                   → Matches & Chats
/app/chat/:matchId             → Chat Thread
/app/profile                   → My Profile
/app/profile/edit              → Edit Profile
/app/profile/photos            → Manage Photos
/app/explore                   → Explore (Top Picks, events)
/app/settings                  → Settings
/app/settings/preferences      → Discovery Preferences
/app/settings/subscription     → Subscription
/app/safety                    → Safety Center
/app/passport                  → Change Location (premium)

Search & Filter

Context Behavior Filters
Discover Algorithm-driven, no search Age Range, Distance, Gender, Global Mode
Matches Scroll through matches — (sorted by recency)
Likes View who liked you — (sorted by newest)

Tinder is filter-driven, not search-driven. You set preferences; the algorithm shows you profiles. No text search for people.

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Discover Chat Profile
Mobile (primary) Full-screen card stack, swipe gestures Full-screen conversation Scrollable sections
Tablet Larger cards Split (match list + chat) Two-column
Desktop (web) Click buttons instead of swipe Three-column (matches + chat + profile) Multi-column

Tinder-Specific UX

  • One profile at a time: Forces focused attention (no grid browsing)
  • Swipe as primary interaction: Gesture replaces buttons
  • Mutual anonymity until match: A never knows if B passed
  • Match celebration: Confetti + "It's a Match!" screen
  • Photo-first design: Photos dominate; text is secondary
  • Haptic feedback: On swipe actions and match
  • Smart Photos: AI reorders your photos to show best-performing first
  • Limited resources drive engagement: Limited daily likes (free), limited Super Likes = each one matters
  • Gold/Platinum blur: Seeing "someone liked you" but blurred creates FOMO → conversion

Access Control

Feature Free Plus Gold Platinum
Swipe / Like Limited (daily cap) Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
See Who Liked You Blurred count Blurred ✅ Clear ✅ Clear
Super Likes 1/week 5/week 5/week 5/week
Boost — 1/month 1/month 1/month
Rewind (undo) — ✅ ✅ ✅
Passport — ✅ ✅ ✅
Incognito — — — ✅
Message Before Match — — — ✅
Priority Likes — — — ✅
Ads Yes No No No

Safety & Moderation

  • Photo verification (AI + selfie check)
  • Block & Report (all users)
  • Unmatch deletes chat history completely
  • Noonlight emergency button
  • AI content moderation (detect explicit/spam messages)
  • Manual review of reported users
  • Ban for repeated violations
  • Privacy: approximate distance only, never exact location