Tinder will soon be rolling out several features aiming to make its users feel safer on their dates, including what many are dubbing its new “panic button.”
The button is part of Tinder’s new partnership with safety platform Noonlight. Users can enter details about an upcoming date, including location and time, into a new “Tinder Timeline” tool that will alert friends as to where they are. Later, if there’s an issue on the date, users can press the panic button on the Noonlight app that will alert the company’s dispatchers, who will then reach out via text. If the text message goes unanswered, Noonlight will try and call the user, and if the user doesn’t answer, the app will contact emergency services on their behalf.
As Tinder put it on its blog, the “first-of-its-kind added security measure” gives users the “ability to easily and discreetly trigger emergency services if they are feeling uneasy or in need of assistance.” The feature will be available for U.S. users starting next Tuesday.
Another anti-catfishing tool will also be coming out later this year, according to Tinder. To confirm someone is real, users will be able to ask someone they’re talking to to submit a few pictures. Tinder will then, using photo verification and AI tools, compare the new pictures to the pictures the user uploaded with their profile; users that complete this step will receive a check mark on their profile showing they’ve been verified.