Latest news with #PhilPriceFry
CNN
07-06-2025
- CNN
You can pay Tinder to find matches of a certain height. But why do we care so much?
In her Tinder bio, Natasha Burns would tantalize potential matches with a few words: 'Probably taller than you.' Men readily slid into the model's DMs ready to compare heights. When they found out she was 6 feet, 5 inches tall, though, many of them balked. 'I found most men would be okay with me in the setting of their own home or hanging out without people around,' she said. 'When it's seen publicly, it's a little bit more humiliating, I guess.' Burns is 6 inches taller than her now-husband, whom she met on Tinder. But if either of them had been able to filter their potential matches by height, it's possible the two would have written each other off based on measurements alone. Tinder is testing a feature that lets paying users set height preferences for potential partners, with the goal of matching singles whose desired height ranges align. Other dating apps already offer versions of this setting. Single men on the shorter side almost immediately condemned the test setting: Surely, women would use it to filter them out completely, they protested. The filter doesn't quite work that way — a Tinder spokesperson said the height setting won't block singles from being seen by users with different preferences — but it will influence the recommendations the app makes. 'We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users — and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus,' Phil Price Fry, Tinder's vice president of communications, told CNN in a statement. A potential partner's height really is that important to many singles on the digital prowl. Research shows that heterosexual women prefer to date taller men, while men commonly report seeking women who are shorter than them. But dating apps have likely exacerbated our well-studied fixation on height in a potential partner, said Liesel Sharabi, an associate professor at Arizona State University who studies how online dating affects modern love. 'They're seeing people as their height,' she said of dating app users. 'They're seeing the ability to filter it, so suddenly height becomes salient in a way that it wasn't before. In doing that, the dating apps are telling you what you should be prioritizing.' Knowing what you like in a potential partner is important, she said. But the narrower your idea of the perfect match becomes, the harder it can be to find them in real life. Most dating apps allow (paying, premium) users to filter for their ideal match. They can set their desired age range, political affiliation, substance use, even intentions for using the app — are they looking for short-term fun or a love that lasts? Other apps have introduced similar height filters (though Tinder remains the most popular among them — at least 14% of American adults have used it, per Pew Research Center). But even before users could specify that they're looking for a guy in finance, trust fund, 6-foot-5, blue eyes, many singles felt 'compelled to put (height) in their profile,' Sharabi said. 'Maybe they think that it's something that's going to make them especially attractive,' she said. 'Then other people see it and feel like, 'oh, I should be putting this in my profile, too.'' The height obsession often leads to deception, she said, and filters might even 'encourage' some singles to fudge their heights so they appear in front of more users. 'They might think, 'What's an inch? No one's gonna notice that,'' she said. 'People feel like they don't have any other choice.' Well-meaning shorter men won't be filtered out completely through the new Tinder feature — the popular TikToker iPadTinderGirl set her height filter between 6 feet and 7 feet, 11 inches, and the first user she encountered after that was still under 6 feet tall. 'It's not a guarantee that these people aren't going to get shown to you, but at the same time, you're nudging the algorithm in a certain direction, right?' Sharabi said. Though the conversation around dating app discrimination can quickly slide, among some aggrieved singles, into misogynistic territory, shorter men are likely at a disadvantage on the apps, Sharabi said. A 2013 study found that a partner's height matters more strongly to straight women than it does to men (though men have been shown to prefer shorter partners, natch). There are also typically more men on dating apps than women — Pew found that 50% of men in 2022 reported having used dating apps in the last year compared to 37% of women — so women are able to be more discerning, Sharabi said. It isn't only the 'short kings' that Sharabi worries about. Tall women could find themselves facing fewer matches with height filters, she said. 'I don't know why society has to perceive 'feminine' as being petite,' Burns said. 'I feel very feminine as a super tall woman.' There's nothing inherently wrong with preferring tall men as a short woman, or vice versa, Sharabi said — we like what we like. But those preferences are at least subconsciously influenced by society's perceived norms of dainty women and strong, dominant men. 'We tend to equate height with things like power and status,' she said. '(Height preferences) are coming from some of these pretty highly gendered expectations that we have for what our relationship dynamics should look like.' Dating biases are easier to disregard when two people meet offline and just click. But filters allow us to act on those biases before giving a chance to anyone who doesn't meet our requirements, Sharabi said. 'Filters remove a little bit of that serendipity,' she said. Before meeting someone through online dating became de rigueur, the apps were designed to be 'equalizers' that could connect singles in thin dating markets with a galaxy of potential matches, she said. Now, filtering has made it easy to search for a hyper-specific, ideal match — not so easy, though, to find them. 'People come into it with a wishlist of things they're looking for,' she said. 'And at a certain point, it almost becomes like you're shopping.' Twitch streamer Charlie Schroeder enraged many users when she weighed in on the 'wishlist' element on X: 'Not to side with the men here, but why do women 5'3' and under have such strong preferences for men 6ft+. you are a hobbit, 5'8' is tall enough. you can't even tell when your 5'8' boyfriend is lying about being 6'0' because you're so short.' Hobbits aside, Schroeder said she's noticed the '6-foot fixation' has only become more pronounced among single women she knows through the ubiquity of dating apps. 'People kind of become metrics on dating apps,' Schroeder told CNN. 'They're a set of data that you try to figure out if you're attracted to. A random number — 6 feet — became important because it signaled something -– attractiveness, masculinity.' Focusing on an arbitrary measurement, she said, might 'foreclose some potential relationships,' she said. '(Height) says nothing,' she said. 'It doesn't indicate anything about your ability to truly connect with someone.' Schroeder and Burns both said height doesn't matter to them in a prospective partner — Schroeder, who has given up on using Tinder, tends to date shorter guys and taller women almost accidentally, she said. Burns is happily married to a shorter man who doesn't mind that his wife has several inches on him. Dating apps may incentivize pickiness — and certainly, filters help users avoid matching with someone whose politics or lifestyles are incompatible — but singles who want to improve their chances of finding someone kind, who makes them laugh and shares their interests, might consider putting a little less emphasis on how tall that person is. 'People who are judging compatibility based on height might just miss out on some really great people for things that they wouldn't notice if they were to meet them,' Sharabi said.
News18
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Why Tinder's New Height Preference Filter Has Sparked Debate
Last Updated: The update is currently being tested among select Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum subscribers. All you need is love… and now, a little height too. Tinder is making waves with a new feature that allows users to set a preferred height range for the matches they see. The new option was first noticed by a Reddit user who found it in the app's Discovery Settings. According to a report by TechCrunch, the update is currently being tested among select Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum subscribers. Phil Price Fry, Tinder's VP of Communications, explained to the outlet, 'We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users — and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus." 'This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder. Our new product principles guide every decision, and this one speaks directly to a few: prioritising user outcomes, moving fast, and learning quickly. Not every test becomes a permanent feature, but every test helps us learn how we can deliver smarter, more relevant experiences and push the category forward," he added. While dating apps often let users filter potential matches by age or relationship goals, adding a height filter has sparked quite a bit of debate online. One user on X (formerly Twitter) commented, 'So height filter's cool but if guys ask for BMI you'd call Interpol. Modern equality: women get tall genes, men get shamed for preferences. At least we can drop the act, Tinder's basically a genetic stock exchange." Another said, 'Make an 'acceptable weight' slider for women and watch them lose their s***." 'Damn, so the end times is really here. I already give up and banned from Tinder anyway," a person wrote while an individual joked, 'Short guy are triggered." Someone else wrote, 'As long as they let men filter out women based on weight, then I'm all for it." One sarcastic comment read, 'Wow. Technology never ceases to amaze me. This is life changing…" Another asked, 'If Tinder is adding a height filter for women to choose taller men, shouldn't they also add a waist filter for men to choose slimmer women? Fair question, don't you think." While the filter has sparked different opinions, Tinder says that the setting will indicate a preference rather than functioning as a 'hard filter." This means profiles won't be blocked or excluded but the setting will help guide the matches you see.
Economic Times
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Want your partner to be a certain height? Tinder will now let you filter by it
Tinder is currently testing a feature that allows paid users to set a specific preference for potential matches. It will not block profiles, but it will influence recommendations. The move comes as the dating app attempts to offer more tailored experiences and potentially appeal more to women amid a decline in paid is apparently experimenting with a new height preference feature for its Gold and Premium subscribers. The feature adds to growing concerns about dating app superficiality. The launch of the test comes after Match, the parent company of Tinder, reported a 5% decline in paying users in its most recent earnings. In the first quarter, Match's dating apps had 14.2 million paid subscribers, down from 14.9 million a year earlier, as per a report by TechCrunch. Tinder is capitalizing on the perception that dating apps are shallow. A representative for the company asserted that the discovery setting has been made available as a worldwide test after a Reddit user shared a picture of the updated Tinder app height setting, as quoted in a report by TechCrunch. Given that the app is typically more heavily dominated by men in the US and abroad, the company may be hoping that adding a height setting will entice more women to use and pay for it. ALSO READ: Who is the Japanese pop star Elon Musk reportedly fathered a child with? Mystery deepensAccording to the company, the setting will express a preference rather than acting as a "hard filter." In other words, it will inform recommendations rather than block or exclude an emailed statement, Phil Price Fry, VP of communications at Tinder, said, "We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus,' 'This is a component of a larger initiative to encourage more deliberate Tinder connections. Every decision we make with our new product is guided by certain principles, and this one speaks directly to a few of them.'Although not all tests are implemented permanently, they all teach us how to provide more intelligent, pertinent experiences and advance the height setting is likely to generate more controversy and worry, even though dating apps normally allow users to filter for people based on more conventional criteria, such as age, whether they want a long-term relationship, or whether they have children. With the popularity of online dating, evaluating someone entirely on the basis of physical attributes, such as their size or appearance, has become crucial. Tinder's user interface, which places a strong emphasis on browsing through people's photos, contributed to the acceleration of this trend. The popularity of dating apps not only revealed people's inclination for the conventionally attractive, but it also created a culture in which prejudice against taller men was accepted as the I filter Tinder matches based on height?Only if you are a Gold or Premium subscriber in the test group; Tinder is testing a height preference setting. Does the height setting exclude shorter or taller users? No, it only helps guide who Tinder shows you; it does not completely block anyone.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
Want your partner to be a certain height? Tinder will now let you filter by it
Tinder is currently testing a feature that allows paid users to set a specific preference for potential matches. It will not block profiles, but it will influence recommendations. The move comes as the dating app attempts to offer more tailored experiences and potentially appeal more to women amid a decline in paid users. Tinder is apparently experimenting with a new height preference feature for its Gold and Premium subscribers. The feature adds to growing concerns about dating app superficiality. Why is Tinder adding a height preference now? The launch of the test comes after Match, the parent company of Tinder, reported a 5% decline in paying users in its most recent earnings. In the first quarter, Match's dating apps had 14.2 million paid subscribers, down from 14.9 million a year earlier, as per a report by TechCrunch. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Elegant New Scooters For Seniors In 2024: The Prices May Surprise You Mobility Scooter | Search Ads Learn More Tinder is capitalizing on the perception that dating apps are shallow. A representative for the company asserted that the discovery setting has been made available as a worldwide test after a Reddit user shared a picture of the updated Tinder app height setting, as quoted in a report by TechCrunch. Given that the app is typically more heavily dominated by men in the US and abroad, the company may be hoping that adding a height setting will entice more women to use and pay for it. Live Events ALSO READ: Who is the Japanese pop star Elon Musk reportedly fathered a child with? Mystery deepens Is the height filter a hard requirement? According to the company, the setting will express a preference rather than acting as a "hard filter." In other words, it will inform recommendations rather than block or exclude profiles. In an emailed statement, Phil Price Fry, VP of communications at Tinder, said, "We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus,' 'This is a component of a larger initiative to encourage more deliberate Tinder connections. Every decision we make with our new product is guided by certain principles, and this one speaks directly to a few of them.' Will this feature stay long-term? Although not all tests are implemented permanently, they all teach us how to provide more intelligent, pertinent experiences and advance the category. The height setting is likely to generate more controversy and worry, even though dating apps normally allow users to filter for people based on more conventional criteria, such as age, whether they want a long-term relationship, or whether they have children. With the popularity of online dating , evaluating someone entirely on the basis of physical attributes, such as their size or appearance, has become crucial. Tinder's user interface, which places a strong emphasis on browsing through people's photos, contributed to the acceleration of this trend. The popularity of dating apps not only revealed people's inclination for the conventionally attractive, but it also created a culture in which prejudice against taller men was accepted as the standard. FAQs Can I filter Tinder matches based on height? Only if you are a Gold or Premium subscriber in the test group; Tinder is testing a height preference setting. Does the height setting exclude shorter or taller users? No, it only helps guide who Tinder shows you; it does not completely block anyone.
Engadget
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Tinder is testing height preferences
Tinder helped popularize a modern dating culture that puts looks first, and now the app is trying out a new way to capitalize on it. As part of a test, select Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum subscribers will be able to set a preferred height range for matches they receive in the app, according to TechCrunch . The feature was first spotted by a Reddit user who noticed the option in the app's "Discovery Settings." Deciding that you prefer matches who are 5'10" and up won't necessarily weed out the short kings in your area, but it will influence the recommendations the app offers as you swipe. Tinder has long included ways to spell out your preferences in your profile, and plenty of people go further in their bio, signaling that they only swipe right on people with specific features or interests. Making height preference part of the official settings just formalizes things. Given how dating apps are already associated with superficiality, though, this feature seems intended to be a bit provocative. It could also reflect how Tinder is approaching its paid subscriptions going forward: not just as a way to increase the reach of your dating profile, but as the official method for exerting granular control over who you match with. "This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder. Our new product principles guide every decision, and this one speaks directly to a few: prioritizing user outcomes, moving fast, and learning quickly," Tinder's VP of Comms Phil Price Fry tells Engadget . "Not every test becomes a permanent feature, but every test helps us learn how we can deliver smarter, more relevant experiences and push the category forward." Whether being able to set a height preference becomes a real feature, it doesn't stop people from lying in their dating profile. Though, as TechCrunch notes, Tinder has joked about implementing height verification in the past.
