A lightweight Tinder Lite app is in the works for emerging markets

Tinder
Image credit: Tinder

We've seen Twitter Lite, and Facebook Lite, and many others, and now Tinder is getting in on the act – it says it's developing a lightweight version of its dating app for emerging markets with spotty connections and cheaper phones.

For big tech companies looking to crack India and other countries as they get up to speed, a Lite app makes a lot of sense, so Tinder obviously doesn't want to miss out.

Details on Tinder Lite are pretty thin on the ground at the moment, but parent company Match Group has told investors that the app is going to be out before the end of the year, as TechCrunch reports.

As with other Lite apps, the expectation is that it'll go easy on bandwidth and storage requirements – you'll be able to get Tinder Lite up and running smoothly on just about every phone out there.

Making Tinder more effective

"It's a big step forward addressing the needs of consumers there," explained Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg, saying that the new app would be targeted at growing markets in southeast Asia in particular.

"Tinder Lite will be a smaller app to download. It will take less space on your phone, making Tinder more effective, even in more remote areas or regions. And keep in mind, these are regions where data usage still comes at a premium."

Announcing its Q1 2019 results, Match Group said the main Tinder app is now averaging around 4.7 million paid subscribers, which is 1.3 million more than last year. Tinder Lite could spark even more growth.

Cutting down on the size and demands of the app likely means some features are going to be lost along the way, but we'll have to wait and see exactly what Tinder Lite does and doesn't keep from the main Tinder app.

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.