How dating app algorithms (likely) work in 2026

How dating app algorithms (likely) work in 2026My understanding based off official sources, unofficial commentary, Reddit theories, and first principles thinking.Nikita SokolskyApr 22, 20264574ShareI don’t work for Match, Inc or Bumble, so I cannot share any internal secrets. But the apps are managed by giant publicly-traded corporations and lots of information has been intentionally or accidentally shared over the years. The missing parts we can infer via a basic understanding of modern ML and modern corporations.Corporate incentives are the most underrated mental model: these apps cannot exist without female users and ~all of their revenue comes from men paying to compete for women’s attention. Priority one for the apps is thus keeping women on the platform.

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