San Francisco, Jun 23 (IANS): With an aim to help people know each other from afar before a meeting, dating app Tinder has announced 'Hot Takes' that will let users chat before they match.

The new feature allows users to chat with someone before they match in a low-stakes session of the feature's namesake,the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

As the timer counts down users will choose if they want to pair off as a match or let the timer expire to meet someone new.

"A new generation of daters is asking for more from us in the post-Covid world -- more ways to show off their authentic selves, more ways to have fun and interact with others virtually and more control over who they meet on Tinder and how they communicate," said Jim Lanzone, CEO of Tinder.

The company has also launched an array of new features, including the introduction of the video within Tinder profiles, that continue to expand the possibilities of online dating.

According to the company, the video gives Gen Z a new way to tell their authentic stories and represents the evolution of Tinder into a multi-dimensional experience that mirrors what dating looks like in 2021.

It has also announced a new Explore section that allows members to navigate by interest, activity or content type.

The all-new social experiences will give members new ways to discover the right person.

For the first time, Tinder is introducing a new section within the app that will expand the way you meet new people.

In this space, members can discover matches that share similar Passions and explore different sides of Tinder like Festival or Chef Mode.

With more than 65 billion matches created worldwide, Tinder is the world's most popular app for sparking connections with new people, the company said.