The parent company of dating app Tinder is adding a new “panic button” feature to allow users to call for help even if they can’t dial 911, talk or text.
Match Group said in a statement it has partnered with Noonlight, a company that provides emergency response services and personal safety products.
Match Group says the feature will allow Tinder users to input details of an upcoming date, including who they are meeting, where they are going and when they will meet in a Tinder Timeline feature. If something happens that the user thinks puts them in danger, they will be able to trigger a discreet alert to emergency services.
Once the alarm is triggered, Noonlight dispatchers will check on the user and contact emergency responders if necessary, according to Match Group. Because the user has already put the details of the date in their Tinder Timeline, dispatchers will be able to tell authorities who the person is supposed to be with and where they were supposed to be going.
“Meeting a new person can be an anxiety-inducing event for a myriad of reasons. In working closely with Match Group brands, our goal is to make sure safety isn’t one of those reasons,” Noonlight co-founder Nick Droege said in a statement.
The timeline feature will roll out on Tinder Tuesday. Also being introduced is a photo verification feature and a harassment detection prompt called “Does This Bother You?”
The new tools will be part of a new Safety Center section of the app.
Match.com, another property of Match Group, will roll out Noonlight later this year along with a Selfie Verification and a Date Check-in feature.
