Key Takeaways

Tinder’s new ID verification feature, Face Check, which Match Group says has cut down on bad actor interactions by 50%, is officially coming to Hinge. 

Hinge announced its plans for Face Check on Feb. 10, Safer Internet Day, which it called “an important benchmark to reflect on the challenges and progress of each year.” 

And as the new year unfolds, it’s increasingly clear that what daters want is for apps to take a more proactive approach to safety. 

“We’ve learned from daters themselves that when safety is a visible part of the experience it helps them feel more comfortable on the platform, and more comfortable with each other,” Hinge explained. 

Comfort is a hot commodity on dating apps. In 2025, the Business Dating Index found that 75% of the largest dating platforms — Tinder and Hinge included — are generally unsafe in terms of cybersecurity. And then there’s the actual “meet up”, when daters put their safety at risk to meet their online match IRL. 

Face Check, as well as its extension to Hinge, is Match Group’s attempt to reassure users that it takes their safety seriously — so seriously, in fact, that it’s willing to invest in advanced AI tech. And as an industry leader, Match Group’s proactive approach to safety sets a notable industry standard. 

Face Check Leads Match Group’s Safety Efforts 

When it comes to successful safety tools, Face Check is Match Group’s holy grail — so far, at least.

I admit it: It’s hard not to dwell on the high-profile security incidents of 2025. From Tea to Grindr to RAW, we all questioned how some dating platforms define “safety” in this modern age. Match Group, for one, seems to have focused on proactive safety measures during the onboarding process. 

Match Group describes Face Check as a feature that “increas[es] dater confidence that the person they see is the person they’ll meet” — a sure sign that the platform is listening to user demand for more trust and safety in offline settings.

Face Check is a “measurably impactful Trust and Safety feature.”

Tinder first implemented Face Check, which uses FaceTec AI liveness detection to confirm user identities, in 2025. At the time, Match Group’s Head of Trust & Safety, Yoel Roth, called Face Check “perhaps the most measurably impactful Trust and Safety feature I’ve seen in my 15-year career.” 

Strong words for a then-experimental AI tool, but Roth’s confidence was warranted: User reports of bad actors decreased by 40% after Tinder implemented Face Check. 

As Match Group focuses on revitalizing Tinder, it sees Hinge as its most straightforward path to growth. Investing in safety is, clearly, a no-brainer. It’s no wonder Match Group is eager to extend this “measurably impactful” feature to Hinge, the dating app that has slowly but surely become the feather in Match Group’s cap. 

Going Forward, Hinge Blends AI and Humanity 

As part of its ongoing safety efforts, Hinge is listening to user needs and investing in kind: The app specifically mentions its AI-powered Comment Filter, which allows users to filter out comments that use triggering language, and Did This Bother You?, a clear way for users to report their discomfort on the app. 

Hinge even plans to make the profile creation process smoother by redesigning the overall onboarding experience. The goal is to help the user build trust and confidence as soon as they click “create profile.” 

Something else users want developers to know: AI isn’t a toy. Tech for tech’s sake only detracts from the user experience, which is why Hinge aims for a more balanced blend of tech and humanity. “Every appeal on Hinge is reviewed by a human moderator,” the app says. 

“Every appeal on Hinge is reviewed by a human moderator.”

Some daters take an app’s connection to humanity seriously, and this includes Hinge users. As Hinge put it, these daters want to “tailor their journey to reflect their personal preferences and lived experiences.” In other words, they want the flexibility to say, “This match no longer works for me.” 

Soon, Tinder and Hinge users around the world will be able to feel safer and more comfortable on these dating apps, thanks to Match Group’s investment in Face Check and other safety measures. 

All in all, it seems Hinge is intent on getting bigger, faster, and safer in 2026, with Face Check leading the way.