Tinder will require new users in the US to verify their identity with a selfie | TechCrunch

Dating app giant Tinder announced Wednesday that it is expanding its facial verification feature to more users in the US

The facial verification feature, known as Face Check, requires new users to verify their identity by submitting a short video selfie. This initiative aims to reduce impersonation on the platform and ensure that people are not connected to bots or fake accounts.

Face Check takes a 3D video scan of the user’s face to verify its similarity to their profile photos. Members who successfully complete the verification process earn a badge on their profile, which allows others to see that they have been verified. Additionally, the feature identifies if the same face is used on different accounts, providing additional protection against impersonation and fraudulent profiles.

Tinder says the video selfies are deleted shortly after review, but are left with a “non-reversible, encrypted face map and face vector” that helps authenticate new photos, detect fraud and prevent people from creating duplicate accounts.

The Face Check function has been available since June in California, but also in Colombia and Canada. It is now also available in Australia, India and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Face Check will be rolled out to even more US states in the coming months. It will also be rolled out to other dating apps from parent company Match Group in 2026.

Users have been abandoning the Tinder app in recent years due to security and privacy issues, as well as unfavorable encounters with other users. The company faces challenges in monetizing its user base, reports a 7% drop in paying users during the second quarter of 2025.

Since launching the feature, Tinder claims to have already seen promising results, including a 60% reduction in exposure to potential ‘bad actors’ and a 40% drop in ‘bad actor reports’.

Other companies have also recently introduced anti-scam facial recognition tests. For example, Meta uses similar technology to help users regain access to compromised Facebook or Instagram accounts. Additional, Bumble offers photo verification, where members must take a selfie that mimics a pose they select to be verified.