All Tinder users know that the app connects you to potential matches using the device's GPS. But have you ever asked yourself how much information Tinder collects about your location?
As the debate on privacy rages on, it is important to determine just how much information the apps on your devices have on the various types of data on your device.
This guide will help you answer any questions you may have about how Tinder gathers GPS information on the device and how the app updates your location.
Tinder connects you to potential matches in your area by getting your location directly from your phone's GPS.
Once it has your current location, the app will then look for potential matches within the 1 to 100-mile radius that you specify.
This means that Tinder may not be able to match you with anyone 101 miles away from your GPS location unless you can find ways to persuade Tinder that you are in a different location.
No, Tinder won't update your location automatically unless you open the app. It will only update your location when you open the app or the app is active in the background.
Yes. Tinder can also update your location when the app is active in the background, even if you are not currently using it.
So, Tinder might technically update your location when you are not active, but the app is running in the background. The best way therefore to prevent this is to close Tinder completely when you're not using it.
No. Tinder updates your location only when you have it open with location permission enabled.
With the necessary permission, any app can easily track your location. But under normal circumstances, Tinder doesn't track your location, especially when you're logged out.
Tinder works by only getting pings about your location at certain intervals and when the location change is small, it may even ignore the changes.
Tinder updates your location only when you open the app and your location has changed. If you frequently visit the app but your location remains the same, then Tinder won't update your location as often as when you're moving around.
However, if you are changing your location constantly and opening the app each time you move, then Tinder will update your location more frequently for other users to see.
Tinder's user interface is carefully curated and designed by user experience professionals. However, behind the scenes, Tinder has access to much more information about user locations than what they show on the app.
In order to calculate the distance between users, Tinder uses the exact coordinates of its users. This means that someone has access to these coordinates.
Although there were some security breaches in the early days of the app, Tinder has since taken significant measures to ensure the security of their user location data.
The app now employs a complex system involving geometry, grids, and pins to protect user locations from potential hackers. Therefore, there is no need to worry about privacy when using Tinder.
Any distances shown in Kilometers on the app are actually not accurate.
This is because Tinder uses miles to measure distance and rather than convert kilometers to miles, Tinder will simply write "kilometers" after the number rather than "miles."
For example, if you spoof your location to San Francisco and you live in London (5351 miles away), Tinder will show that your matches in London are 5351km away.
Tinder doesn't calculate the exact distance to a match and then round off the number of miles to display, instead the app will snap your location to a coarse-grained grid.
The distance is also only updated every 10 minutes, making the distance of the fast-moving individuals less accurate.
Therefore, if you are in a car that is moving at about 60 miles an hour, the distance displayed in Tinder may be about 10 miles off.
There's a working method of finding out if the person you're dating is still on Tinder. The answer is in their current location.
Only when Tinder users open the app and start swiping, Tinder will update their location and check for nearby matches.
So if you see a match's distance has changed, it means that they may have opened the app in a different location.
The paid feature from Tinder: Tinder Passport allows you to change your location as often as you want within the app.
You can only swipe in one city at a time, but it allows you to save up to 4 default locations.
There is also another way that you can change the location on Tinder. Just read this tutorial to find more details.
Tinder Passport is the official feature from Tinder, which allows you to change Tinder's location to match with singles from any city.
One of the frequently asked questions is that, is Tinder Passport worth paying for?
In our opinion, if you travel a lot and want to meet new people while you're there, the Tinder Passport is probably worth it.
If you don't have enough time to see if there are new matches in the new city, you can keep your options open until things are settled.
The simple answer to this question is "Yes."
If you would like to meet people outside the scope of your location, you can use GPS spoofing apps such as MockGo to fake the location for iPhone without jailbreak and match with people outside the 100-mile radius limit that Tinder works with.
Most Android devices come with an "Enable Mock Location" feature that makes it very easy to fake GPS on Tinder.
When choosing the best solution to fake Tinder location, it is vital to choose a solution that will not affect the safety or security of the device or any data on it.
Mako is a technical freelance writer with a passion for all things tech. Whether you're wondering about how to fix your iPhone or trying to get something to work in your settings, Mako is your go-to for professional help. He loves writing, testing solutions, and most of all, making sure his research is factually accurate.
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