What makes a perfect couple?
Shared values? Yeah. Shared understanding of the future? Sure. But what if we told you, for some, it's that perfect height difference? Yes, you read that right. For some, height is a criterion that seems really important when finding a partner.
Understanding this, Tinder, the dating app, has recently launched a new feature that lets you filter your matches by height.
The Controversy
Tinder has recently introduced a new global premium feature (only for paid users) that allows users to indicate a preferred height range for potential matches.
This feature, instead of being a strict filter, works more as a suggestion for the algorithm rather than an absolute restriction.
That said, let's address some uncomfortable realities.
On average, women show a strong preference for taller partners - more so than men who prioritise dating shorter women. Research (yes, studies like this exist) on height preferences found that women are most satisfied when their partner is about 8 inches (21 cm) taller, while men prefer a height difference of around 3 inches (8 cm).
Another study revealed that 13.5% of men prefer dating women shorter than themselves, whereas nearly half (48.9%) of women exclusively seek taller partners.
According to Psychology Today, this preference is deeply rooted in societal stereotypes. Tall men are often associated with traditional notions of masculinity.
When picturing a stereotypical "man," one might envision someone bearded, tall, and possessing a deep voice. While not all men fit this mould, taller men tend to align more with these expectations, which many women find appealing.
Of course, these perceptions aren't universally true, and reinforcing such stereotypes isn't ideal. However, data suggests that these biases persist-and dating apps seem to be capitalising on them.
What Women Say
Riya Das, a 27-year-old working professional from Noida who often uses dating apps to find matches, shares with NDTV her thoughts about the new feature.
In 2023, Tinder was the most popular dating app in India. Photo: Unsplash
"Even though I am someone who is shallow enough to look at a guy's height, ideally I shouldn't. This filter will only make people more shallow and guys more insecure. It'll also make people miss out on potentially great matches," says Riya.
Anusha Sharma, another single woman from Hyderabad who found her match on a dating app, says, "I feel the height feature on Tinder is pretty dissatisfying. Moreover, where the world is heading towards normalising skin colour and promoting body positivity, this new feature creates a reverse effect on people. It takes us back to the time when people were judged based on physical looks."
She says that to find love, one doesn't need to compare height, weight, or skin colour. All that matters is emotional compatibility-the rest tends to fall in place on its own.
"If the app really wants to let people connect intentionally, they should focus more on creating prompts that spark the user's intellect more than physical looks," she adds.
'It Was Created To Make Sure People Connect More Intentionally'
NDTV reached out to Tinder to understand why this feature was added.
A Tinder spokesperson shares, "We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users - and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus. This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder. Our new product principles guide every decision, and this one speaks directly to a few: prioritising user outcomes, moving fast, and learning quickly. Not every test becomes a permanent feature, but every test helps us learn how we can deliver smarter, more relevant experiences and push the category forward."
This feature comes just a few days after Spencer Rascoff, the CEO of Match Group, shared in a LinkedIn post that:
"At Tinder, we are rethinking not just what we build but how we build it. Over the past few months, I've connected with teams across the company, reviewed product feedback, and listened closely to the people who use our app every day."
It seems like Tinder updated this feature by listening to what people want in their relationships... a good height difference.