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

Dating app giant Tinder announced Wednesday that it is expanding its facial recognition feature to more users in the United States.

The facial recognition feature, known as Face Check, requires new users to verify their identity by submitting a short video selfie. The initiative aims to reduce impersonation on the platform and prevent people from being connected to bots and fake accounts.

Face Check creates a 3D video scan of your face and verifies its similarity to your profile photo. Members who successfully complete the verification process will earn a badge on their profile to show other members that they are verified. Additionally, this feature identifies if the same face is used across different accounts, providing an additional safeguard against impersonation and fraudulent profiles.

Tinder says selfies are deleted immediately after review, but “irreversibly encrypted face maps and face vectors” are stored to help verify new photos, spot fraudulent activity and prevent duplicate account creation.

The face check feature has already been introduced in California, Colombia, and Canada since June. It is also currently available in Australia, India, and other Southeast Asian countries.

Face Check will be rolled out to more US states in the coming months. It is expected to be rolled out to other dating apps owned by parent company Match Group in 2026.

In recent years, users have been leaving the Tinder app due to safety and privacy concerns, as well as unfavorable encounters with other users. The company faces challenges generating revenue from its user base, reporting a 7% decline in paying users in the second quarter of 2025.

Since launching this feature, Tinder claims it’s already showing promising results, including a 60% reduction in exposure to potential “bad guys” and a 40% reduction in the number of “bad guy reports.”

Other companies have also recently introduced facial recognition tests to combat fraud. For example, Meta uses similar technology to help users regain access to compromised Facebook or Instagram accounts. Additionally, Bumble offers photo verification, where members must take a selfie that mimics a pose of their choice in order to be verified.