Match Group CFO confirms Tinder US user growth returns

Match Group chief financial officer Steve Bailey told Reuters on Monday that Tinder’s daily active users in the United States returned to annual growth in October. The milestone marks a key step in the dating app’s ongoing turnaround strategy.

Bailey attributed the improvement to better algorithms. These systems use artificial intelligence to analyze unstructured data and identify more compatible matches for users. He did not disclose the specific monthly figures for the US market.

The US recovery follows a global shift earlier this month. Tinder’s global daily active users posted year-over-year growth in September. This was the first time global numbers had increased in three and a half years.

The move toward AI tools comes as younger Gen Z users show growing disillusionment with traditional swiping mechanics. This shift in user behavior has fueled weaker engagement across the industry. Last month, rival Bumble agreed to a $1.3 billion deal with Ithaca Holdings to go private after years of struggling to revive growth.

Match Group reported a 1% drop in Tinder’s global daily active users for the third quarter. This represented a sharp improvement compared with a 10% decline reported a year earlier. The company plans to spend approximately $10 million on AI tools in 2026. Bailey stated that Match is slowing hiring to offset these rising costs while avoiding layoffs.

For the fourth quarter, the company estimates revenue between $865 million and $875 million. Analysts, according to LSEG data, had expected revenue of $871.4 million for the same period.