Tinder debuts verified symbol for high-profile date-seekers

Check it out — and by “it” I mean the check symbol that signifies that someone is a “verified” user on social media. After first gaining prominence on Twitter, the verified sign has found its way to other popular social networks including Facebook, Instagram, and Vine. And now, it has begun appearing on Tinder as well.

What does being verified mean?

Tinder takes a swipe-based “hot or not” approach to online dating whereby you swipe right to like or left to pass on a recommendation. Your swipe is anonymous, that is, until someone you like likes you back, in which case a match is made and you can take it from there by chatting with your match within the app.

Now, when looking at Tinder’s recommendations, you may see a verified symbol on the profiles of some users, particularly the rich and the famous. This means that these are the actual profiles of celebrities, athletes, and other notable public figures, and not just ones made by users pretending to be them.

This is Tinder’s way of keepin’ it real. Who knows? You might end up swiping right on and winning a date with your favorite movie star.

Meet your verified match

Can you get verified too?

If you’re not a celebrity, an athlete, or an otherwise notable public figure, your chances for verification are slim, practically nil.

But as noted by The Next Web, if you are indeed a notable public figure (but hopefully not a politician), you can request for verification by sending an email to verified@tinder.com. Tinder’s vice president of global communications and branding, Rosette Pambakian, says that the dating service is reviewing verification requests on a case-by-case basis.

Look for the verified symbol on Tinder

Anyway, how do you get Tinder?

Verified profiles make their debut in the new version of Tinder, which also includes bug fixes and other improvements.

Tinder is free to download from the App Store. An upgrade called Tinder Plus unlocks premium features, including Passport (to be able to swipe anywhere in the world) and Rewind (to be able to bring back your last swipe). Tinder Plus is available via in-app purchase starting at $1.99 per month.

Tinder is optimized for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 7.1 or later. It’s also accessible on Apple Watch, allowing you to chat with your matches right from your wrist.