• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, April 28, 2016

Tinder, the app for finding sex partners which furiously denies that is an app for finding sex partners, is making this claim a bit more plausible with this week’s announcement that is testing a new social feature, which will allow Tinder users to message each other in groups (of course this doesn’t preclude the possibility of finding sex partners on an even larger scale). Currently the new service, called Tinder Social, is being tested with a small group of users in Australia, but it could roll out to the U.S. in the near future.

Tinder Social allows Tinder users to chat with larger groups using their Tinder profiles, displaying pictures and names, and also provides useful information for group socializing, including location. The basic “swiping” dynamic remains the same, as users can swipe right or left to match or dismiss nearby groups; ultimately different groups can join up, offering the option of group dates, resurrecting memories of middle school.

The new social feature definitely sounds like it skews towards nightlife planning, as reflected in Tinder’s own blog post on the subject: “Too often, your nights with friends consist of not knowing what to do, and figuring out where other interesting people you want to meet are going. But what if you can see who's going out and where they’re going, before you and your friends decide where to go? What if you could break the ice and get introduced to them before you arrive?”

The blog post continues: “To use Tinder Social, just start a group with the friends you’re going out with, and then swipe and match with other groups also going out. You can then chat with your group matches or see their status to find out what they're up to and where everyone’s headed. It’s a way to go places full of people you’ve already matched with, making socializing so much easier once you’re out and about.”

And then you go have sex with all of them!  I kid, I kid (sort of, not really).