Hinge, Tinder, OkCupid encourage UK daters to show COVID-19 vaccination status
Dating apps in the UK have teamed up with Downing Street to let users display their COVID-19 vaccination status in profiles.
Hinge, Tinder, and OkCupid have all announced they're supporting the UK government to encourage singles to share if they've been vaccinated for the coronavirus or are soon to be, with each app offering up rewards like Roses, Super Likes, and Boosts for participants.
Tinder is rolling out an in-app Vaccine Centre, which will provide resources for members in the UK, including information from the NHS, in addition to profile stickers including "Vaccinated," "Vaxing Soon," "Immunity Together," and "Vaccines Save Lives." Users who've been vaccinated and display these provided stickers on their profile will receive a free Super Like.
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Meanwhile, Hinge will allow you to add your vaccination status to your profile bio, next to where you display your age, height, location, and other information you want potential matches to see.
The new feature — which lets you state whether you're fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, not-yet-vaccinated, or prefer not to say — will start this week and run throughout the month of June. Users who participate will receive a free Rose.
Over on OkCupid, daters will be able to add an "I'm Vaccinated" badge to their profile to show fellow singles whether they've had at least one dose of the vaccine. Users displaying the badge in their profiles will get a free Boost and will also be featured in the Vaccinated Stack, which lets people select profiles based on certain categories.
Currently in the UK, COVID-19 vaccines are being offered to people aged 30 and over, as well as groups who have already been eligible. In England, people aged 25 to 29 will be able to book their vaccine from Tuesday, and in Northern Ireland and Wales, people aged over 18 can book their vaccine appointments. The government aims to vaccinate all adults by the end of July 2021.
All the dating app features will be rolling out this week and continuing for the month of June. Best get swiping! Hot vaxx summer is here whether you want it or not.
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
