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Swipe left, swipe right — but why?
The real story behind Tinder’s most famous gesture.
Ever since Tinder was first launched in 2012, Tinder-inspired Swiping Left and Swiping Right gestures have become mainstream. Its dead-simple user interface helped propel the app — and its interface — into the realm of pop culture artifacts.
Tinder’s creators knew they had to make online dating fast, delightful, and intuitive. Before launching the app, Jonathan Badeen, one of its co-founders, was looking for more fluidity in navigating from one profile to another.
One day I was wiping my foggy mirror after getting out of the shower and found my inspiration. — Jonathan Badeen
One user wouldn’t have to click to decide the fate of another, but would instead swipe with their finger, one way or the other.
Swipe left. Swipe right. It’s such a small gesture that packs such a big punch. They are essential phrases in online dating. As a result, they’ve been making their way to all corners of the internet — and beyond.
So let’s rewind…
What is the meaning, exactly, of the swipe?
Swipe right means to like or accept someone, while swipe left means to reject them. The meaning of these two phrases is basically Tinder’s core mechanics. If both people swipe right on each other, they’ll be matched up.
However, it is quite common for two people not to match even if one of them swipes right. Creating a match requires mutual interest from both parties. If you don’t end up matching with someone you swiped right on, you can just assume that they swiped left on you.
To further understand the mechanics of Tinder, I strongly recommend the “Breaking down the brilliant and simple design of Tinder” story by Richard Fang.
