Time to master your Blue Steel
Are you really, really ridiculously good looking? Congratulations: you could qualify for Tinder Select, a secret, members-only version of Tinder that's only for the rich, famous, and hot.
TechCrunch broke the news about the restricted portion of the app, writing that it's “meant to serve only the elite users” like “CEOs, super models, and other hyper-attractive/upwardly affluent types.” It appears that Tinder has sent some users invites to the platform, some of whom can then nominate others. Nominees are forbidden from nominating anyone else to ensure the service stays small and exclusive.
Though the qualifications required to join Tinder Select are unclear, there seems to be a common thread running through the members: they're attractive, they're high profile, or they're both. The Tinder Elo score, an algorithmic rating system the app uses to assign all users a desirability rating, likely plays a factor.
TechCrunch reports that Tinder Select “looks way better than regular Tinder in terms of design” and “features a gradient navy blue 'S' at the top, where the Tinder flame is normally found, and other blue accenting in place of the usual orange.” Members with access to Tinder Select can toggle between the restricted app and the ordinary version from the top bar.
Tinder isn't the first dating app to create an elite service. The League only accepts certain applicants to the platform, and Bumble rewards its best users with VIBee “verified” status. There's also Raya, the ultra-exclusive dating app for hot, creative, and/or famous people dubbed the 'Illuminati Tinder'.
Raya has stayed relatively under the radar for more than two years. Tinder Select has been around for at least six months without a single peep from Tinder, leading many to believe the company has no plans to announce the service at all.
Now would be a good time to start working on your Blue Steel if you ever want to see invite-only swiping looks like.