You know it, I know it: dating is hard. In the pursuit of love, we often find ourselves up against a minefield of red flags and frankly horrible behaviour like ghostlighting (yes, the combination of the two worst things – gaslighting and being ghosted). And even if you do find someone and things start to fizzle, there’s the fear of starting over to contend with. So it’s no wonder that we’re always looking for solutions to make it easier to meet someone great, and who do we trust more than our nearest and dearest?

Hosting a dating life debrief with friends over a coffee or glass of wine is a time-honoured tradition, so much so that over 75% of singles said they discuss their dating life with pals multiple times a month. So it’s no wonder then that dating app Tinder is making it even easier for our mates to offer their relationship wisdom by launching a new matchmaking feature. 

No more having to show others your swipes: users can now invite others, whether they have a profile or not, to view and suggest potential matches. It gives Tinder users the added intel of seeing who their friends Like for them when considering a potential match but, just like in real life, the user ultimately decides who they want to send a Like to.

“For years, singles have asked their friends to help find their next match and now we’re making that so easy with Tinder Matchmaker,” says Melissa Hobley, the app’s chief marketing officer. “Tinder Matchmaker brings your circle of trust into your dating journey and helps you see the possibilities you might be overlooking from the perspective of those closest to you.”

While being introduced by friends may sound like a thing of the past (a 2019 Stanford University study showed the proportion of couples who had met through friends had plummeted, displaced by online dating), it appears to be increasing in popularity once more.

Personal stylist Sandy, from Chiswick, was successfully matchmade by a close friend following her divorce. “My friend Allison invited me to her birthday party and I didn’t know anyone else there besides her. She introduced me to Anthony at the party as a potential divorce lawyer,” she shares. The pair got on so well that they quietly met up again the following week, and ended up marrying a year later. “I completely trusted Allison’s judgment about him, even if she didn’t realise she was introducing me from a romantic point of view at first,” she says. “I do think that meeting through friends is a great idea.”

But as much as we love them, is entrusting our friends with our love life a good idea, online or otherwise?

According to Anna Goldfarb, author of Modern Friendships, the answer is yes. “Being matchmade by your friends is an excellent strategy. In fact, studies show meeting potential mates is one of the biggest reasons we maintain friendships,” she tells Stylist.

However, there are a few things to be aware of. “Before any matchmaking dates are scheduled, I suggest both friends discuss how to handle disappointment or awkwardness should the match not work out,” Goldfarb explains. “As long as the friends agree to be supportive of one another no matter the outcome. The matchmaker must respect the dater’s decision should the relationship not work.”

“It’s important not to force the situation, don’t overhype or mislead once the introduction is made, resist meddling or remaining involved in ongoing arrangements…let it run naturally,” Sandy agrees. “And don’t take it personally if it doesn’t work out.”

Swipe on, then. 

Images: Getty