# Tinder launch

> Tinder claimed a billion matches after seeding college campuses.

- Owner: Tinder
- Kind: App & software
- Sector: Technology
- Seed date: 2012-08-03
- Milestone date: 2014-03-13
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 40 (Notable, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Maker origin, Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy

## Summary

Tinder reached the App Store before its campus rollout, then added Android and a TV tie-in. Screenshots and Olympic users drew coverage. The company claimed a billion matches before introducing paid subscriptions.

## Timeline

- 2012-08-03 — Tinder (App stores) — Tinder first appeared on the App Store, according to Apple’s release timestamp.
- 2012-09-29 — Justin Mateen (App stores) — Mateen required Tinder downloads for entry to his launch party for USC students.
- 2013-01-03 — TechCrunch (Press) — TechCrunch reported Tinder’s campus adoption and its claimed million matches.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/tinder-launch

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Tinder launch.” Case HIS-01655. Spread Score v1.3: 40/100. Updated 2026-10-24. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01655