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Desperate to date a celebrity? Tinder launches verified profiles for users

Will be given to 'notable public figures, celebrities and athletes'
Lindsay Lohan, Katy Perry and Josh Groban have admitted to being users

Published: 14:05 EST, 7 July 2015 | Updated: 16:50 EST, 7 July 2015

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Tinder has introduced its first verified profiles on its hookup app.

The firm is believed to have been testing the feature for several months, and says it will give the blue tick to 'notable public figures, celebrities and athletes'.

It also revealed 26 million matches are now made every day on the service.

Users who have been verified as 'notable public figures, celebrities and athletes' will have a blue tick next to their name.

'Tinder: it’s how people meet. Each day, 26 million matches are made on Tinder, and we do our best to keep those matches real — that’s why we’re rolling out Verified Profiles.

'Starting today, you may see a verified symbol on some profiles. Now when notable public figures, celebrities and athletes appear in your recommendations, you’ll know it’s for real.

At an SXSW event earlier this year, Tinder CEO Sean Rad revealed that while stars like Jamie Kennedy, Josh Groban, and Lindsay Lohan are all real members of the site, they actually get more left swipes than anyone because users think it’s a prank.

Katy Perry has also admitted in interviews she was 'really deep on Tinder'

Other users include Britney Spears - who was signed up on Jimmy Fallon's TV show.

Ed Sheeran claims he was offered the first verified profile - but turned it down.

It comes as developers in Texas have created an app that uses this increased heart rate to determine how you really feel about a person's profile on Tinder.

Called Hands-Free Tinder, it uses heart rate sensors built into wearables such as the Apple Watch to like, or reject, fellow Tinder members automatically.

Tinder populates a list of matches each time the user opens the app, based on their location or interests.

If a user likes the look of them, they swipe to the right, or they can pass on the recommendation by swiping left. All swipes are anonymous.

Swipe right if you like what you see: online dating app Tinder

Katy Perry has also admitted in interviews she was 'really deep on Tinder', while Lindsey Lohan discovered her brother's profile on the site.

If the liked person swipes right in return, both members are sent notifications that it's a match, meaning they can chat to each other.

The hands-free version takes this a step further by automating the process.

If the heart rate doesn't increase, or decreases, it generates a left swipe.

Hands-Free Tinder was created by Austin-based developers at T3 who said the app will launch 'soon' on the Apple App Store as well as Google Play.

This suggests it will work on Android-based wearables too.

'Swiping left and right is a thing of the past,' explained the developers.

'After we found out that the Apple Watch could detect heart rate, we went to work developing hands-free Tinder. Now you can follow your heart to the right match.

'Using the newly-available Apple Watch SDK, we figured out a way to tie heart rate to matches on Tinder.

Hands-free Tinder: App uses Apple Watch heart rate monitor

Developers in Texas have created an app that uses a person's heart rate to determine how they really feel about a person's profile on Tinder. Called Hands-Free Tinder, it uses heart rate sensors built into wearables such as the Apple Watch to like (left), or reject (right) fellow Tinder members automatically

When a profile is opened, the heart rate monitor starts tracking the wearer's pulse and if there is a noticeable increase, it assumes they like the profile and the app automatically generates a right swipe. If the heart rate doesn't increase, or decreases, it generates a left swipe. The Apple Watch Tinder app is pictured

'By simply looking at the photos on the watch, our application measures the change in a user's heart rate then swipes left if the rate goes down or right if the rate goes up.

'We've removed the need for a user to take action, instead allowing data to make the decision for them. After all, the heart doesn't lie!'

It is not known how sensitive the app is to the changes in heart rate, whether a user can manually make selections, or how much the app will cost. MailOnline has contacted T3 for more information.