Tinder prepares to launch a lite version of its dating app called "Tinder Lite" – TechCrunch



[ad_1]

Tinder is preparing to launch a version of its popular dating app for emerging market users. The application, dubbed "Tinder Lite," offers a smaller and lighter version of the current flagship application, the company says. The small size of applications is a defining feature of most current Lite applications, which are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of users in areas where data usage, bandwidth, and storage space are a preoccupation.

Most major technology companies now offer Lite applications for the large and rapidly growing online user base from these emerging markets – and more specifically from India in recent times.

For example, Google offers a full suite of "Go" light applications, such as Google Go, Gmail Go, Go Files, YouTube Go, Google Maps Go and Google Go Assistant. There is also Facebook Lite, Instagram Lite, Messenger Lite, Twitter Lite, Uber Lite, Spotify Lite and even TikTok Lite, to name a few.

Apparently, Tinder thinks that he too has reached the point of requiring a Lite version, given the power and growth of the dating app. Although the company does not share the size of its total user base, the Tinder app had an average of 4.7 million paying subscribers in the first quarter, an increase of 1.3 million compared with the same period last year, announced this week the parent company Match Group, announcing its results for the first quarter of 2019. In addition, the BBC estimated in 2017 that Tinder had about 57 million monthly active users in total.

Match Group announced this week its plans for Tinder Lite for the first time during an earnings conference call with investors.

The company did not release an exact release date for Tinder Lite, but according to Match Group Managing Director Mandy Ginsberg, the app "will be coming soon".

Ginsberg was talking about the promise of Southeast Asia especially when she mentioned Tinder Lite. She noted that Internet penetration has increased by almost 15% in the region over the past five years, making it a key area to target.

"This region has more than a dozen densely populated cities with more than one million inhabitants and more and more young people are settling in the big cities. These are very important factors that make the need for our application high, "she explained. "… We are excited about the Tinder Lite app that will be available soon. This is a big step forward in meeting the needs of consumers. Tinder Lite will be a smaller application to download. This will take up less space on your phone, making Tinder more efficient, even in the most remote areas. And keep in mind that these are areas where the use of data remains a premium. Ginsberg said.

Tinder is already present in the key Indian market and its parent company Match Group recently restructured its Asia-Pacific team with the aim of further developing its dating application brands, including Tinder, in the region.

Tinder Lite, like some of the "Lite" applications of tech companies, can remove some of its heavier features to focus on the basis of slip and match experience. But the company did not specify what would be or would not be included in the lite version.

"With our continued investment and growth in this region, we expect APAC to account for one-quarter of our company's total revenue by 2023," added Ginsberg.

[ad_2]

Source link