Tinder Is About to Look A Lot Like Snapchat

Tinder might add Snapchat style stories after acquiring video app Wheel.

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Tinder is the latest social app to feel the Snapchat effect. After Instagram and Facebook both adopted Snapchat’s “stories” format, the dating app will also add a video function that will add a whole new dynamic to the art of hooking up.

The news comes after Tinder’s acquisition of Wheel, an app that allows users to send one another video messages in the vein of Snapchat. According to a report from Variety, Tinder will integrate Wheel’s features into its own app, and will bring founders Paul Boukadakis and Chris Shaheen to help with its transition to video messaging.

In an interview with Business Insider, Boukadakis said that the marriage of Wheel and Tinder felt like a natural one. “What we were doing with content was all about connecting a young demographic around creating content together," Boukadakis said. “There was a lot of synergy with what we were doing and what they were doing.”

Tinder hasn’t revealed any details about how they plan on integrating Wheel’s technology, but it’s easy to imagine things getting illicit pretty quickly. Brian Norgard, head of product and revenue at Tinder, stayed mum on specifics in a statement about the acquisition. “We are always exploring new ways to innovate while helping our users make connections on Tinder,” he said. “I'm excited Paul is joining our product team to drive special initiatives that leverage his experience connecting people around innovative content.”

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