You might want to get out your ruler, as popular dating app Tinder has introduced a new preference setting when searching for prospective matches and it's proven to be slightly controversial within the user base.
Dating app profiles act as every user's own digital advertising board where they can flaunt their best traits and potentially even hide their worst ones. Images can only get you so far as any potential match will be keen to study your bio, interests, favorite song, answers to witty questions, and everything in-between, but there are some things that simply prove as a deal-breaker.
Most apps already let you set specific age ranges, minimum photo numbers, and interests to help you filter down to the 'best' options, but Tinder specifically is testing out a new preference option that some aren't too happy about.
What is Tinder's new preference setting?
As reported by TechCrunch, Tinder has added an experimental setting that lets you search within a 'height preference', letting you specifically search for users within as tight of a pool as you wish - including the option to set a minimum height for any matches.
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Conversations around dating have for years centered around the supposed 'six foot minimum' rule that some people have when searching for a potential partner, and with this new change Tinder have given users the tools to enact that themselves.
Obviously there's nothing officially stopping people from lying about their height - and someone who is 5'11" could simply add an extra inch to make it into what could be a lot of new searches, but it could serve as a watershed moment for the lengths Tinder is willing to go to optimize the experience for its users.
There are two caveats that somewhat soften the blow that this has for anyone on the shorter end of things. First of all, it's currently exclusive to Tinder Gold and Premium subscribers so you'll have to fork up the cash to prove how much this actually matters to you.
Additionally, Tinder has expressed that - at least at this point in time - the height range acts simply as a 'preference' instead of a 'hard filter' that completely removes anyone outside of the preferred range.
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Whether that will actually affect how often users outside of specified height ranges appear in searches is unknown, but it's good news at least that you won't have the power to completely eliminate everyone outside the range of a few inches.
How have people reacted to the height preference feature?
Understandably it's not exactly proved to be the most popular feature within the community, although there has been a surprising level of optimism from those it's most likely to affect negatively.
"As a 5'5" dude, I actually welcome this," writes one Reddit user on the shorter side of things, adding that it "saves me the time and struggle." Another concurs, writing that "I would say good because it saves people a lot of time arguing a point that people won't budge on."
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Many are already firm on their preferences for certain heights on apps like Tinder, so in theory it won't necessarily change anything for the people that don't fit these rigid desires.
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Alongside this, many have also speculated that this is simply a way to extract more money through Tinder's subscription models. "It's the only way they're going to get women to pay for the service too," argues a third.
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It's stereotypically understood that women don't have the need to pay for the additional features that Tinder's subscription tiers provide as they are far more likely to get matches than their male counterparts, so it's implied that this feature - which will likely predominantly be used by women - is a way to 'trick' them into paying.