Given the current state of online dating services, including Match, Archer's development is noteworthy. According to Match's most recent financial report, the number of paying users on Tinder, the company's main app and one of the most popular dating services available, has decreased.

Even with over half a million installs, Archer still has a ways to go before it can overtake heavyweight Grindr, which according to Sensor Tower statistics has 87 million installs globally and over 10 million downloads in the last year alone. Scruff is another well-known rival with over 17 million cumulative installations on mobile devices.

of a new perspective on gay online dating and an objective to give users a safe haven, Archer differs from its competitors, who have been charged of encouraging a harmful hookup culture. The app encourages a number of safety precautions to stop undesirable conduct, such using AI in its chat function to automatically hide potentially nude content. (However, users can still submit dick pictures via private photo albums.) Additionally, selfie verification stops matches from utilizing headless or blank profile photos.

TechCrunch was informed by Michael Kaye, Director of Brand Marketing and Communications at Archer, "We recognize that there is bad behavior on gay dating apps." "There is a great deal of racism and body shaming. And since there's really nothing to hide behind, we hope that making everyone authenticate [their selfie] will help contribute to a reduced percentage of negative conduct.

Additionally, Archer distinguishes between casual and serious daters by offering them two distinct layout options: Hookup Mode, which allows users to view multiple profiles at once that include their activity status and whether they're looking for something casual, and Dating Mode, which is a linear layout for users to like one match at a time. The business found that 49% of its users are on Archer searching for hookups and dates, while 66% of its users are looking for relationships.

A number of unique social features of Archer are also available, such as the option to follow people and add interest tags to their profiles (Harry Potter, Taylor Swift, Peloton, etc.). With the recent introduction of Emoji Reactions, users may reply with a humorous emoji to a profile in an effort to strike up a discussion and break the ice.

With new features coming this summer and autumn, Archer aims to continue growing and drawing in more people. Kaye informed us that Archer is giving priority on community-building features, such the ability to search for members by inputting categories in the search field, given that 74% of its users are searching for friendships. Testing additional features that "further help people connect with others who have shared interests and engage in offline activities" was another item he noted. As Kaye had previously informed us, Archer is developing an Instagram-like Stories feature for the app.

Kaye also hinted at the investigation of possible future AI integrations.

"We're going to keep investigating ways to further incorporate AI into the app and provide our consumers an even better premium experience. We will definitely be collaborating with OpenAI shortly, as Match Group recently joined with them at the start of the year, according to Kaye.

Match, like many other companies, has upped its investment in artificial intelligence (AI), with plans to spend between $20 and $30 million by 2024. The firm previously tested an AI photo selection function on Tinder and currently has an agreement with OpenAI.