Letting yourself out in the dating pool is about to get easier, as Tinder rolls out a feature that allows users to block phone numbers, no matter if it's an ex, a family member, or a colleague, to avoid awkward confrontations on the app, the company said.
Tinder's "Block Contacts" feature appeared to be on soft rollout but once widely available, it promises to address a long-time source of anxiety for at least 78% of its users who said in a survey that if given the chance, they would rather not see some people they know of in the app.
Also note that users can only do this as long as those "unwanted" users use the specific blocked number as their registered Tinder contact.
“We may not be able to save you from awkward run-ins at the coffee shop, but we are giving you more control over your experience on Tinder. We’re rolling out Block Contacts as an additional resource empowering members with peace of mind by helping create a worry-free space for them to spark new connections," said Bernadette Morgan, Tinder's Trust & Safety group manager.
Tinder said this new feature is launching just in time for the Western world's “Uncuffing Season", otherwise known as the time for cutting ties with partners to make way for an "unattached" summer of dating around.
As COVID restrictions eased as a result of robust vaccination rollouts, summer 2021 has earned special recognition as the “Great Uncuffing".
Of those surveyed, over 40% said they are breaking up with their partners ahead of summertime, and over half of the Gen Z respondents already said goodbye, Tinder said.
The Block Contacts feature was first tested in Asian countries of India, Korea and Japan, where users on average listed a dozen contacts in their block list, it added.
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