Tinder app broken by Facebook: Here's the workaround [Update: It's back!]

Facebook probably didn't expect its privacy and API changes to impact peoples' love lives today, but it has inadvertently taken Tinder offline in the process. The dating app uses Facebook to authenticate its users and, it seems, wasn't set up to deal with the changes in the social network's policies.

"A technical issue is preventing users from logging into Tinder," the company confirmed this afternoon. "We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to have everyone swiping again soon."

The reassurance fell on deaf ears, mind. Many users were unceremoniously logged out of the Tinder app; some, assuming they were able to get back in, discovered that all of their matches and messages were missing. Others haven't even got that far, getting stuck in an error message loop informing them that they need to grant Tinder more Facebook permissions but then not actually giving them a way to do that.

If you're a Tinder user and are currently freaking out over the sudden absence of your potential husband or wife, there's a workaround. While Tinder is getting the app straightened up, you can also log into the service via the web browser. That way, you should find your matches and messages all intact, and be able to get back to swiping.

Facebook's sweeping changes to its systems could have a profound impact on third-party services, and more than just Tinder. As of today, Facebook Login will demand that any app using the service to allow sign-ins will first need to "agree to strict requirements before they can access this data." It'll also be clamping down on what personal information such third-party services have access to, including relationship status, religious and political views, and activities.

It'll also be adjusting how it deals with apps given legacy permissions, but which appear to be no longer used. In the next week, Facebook says, it plans to remove the ability for developers to access data that users have previously shared with them, if those people have not used the app within the past three months.

While the changes to Facebook Login were first announced two weeks ago, it seems not everybody is up to speed. Tinder says it's working on a fix and hopes to have the app up and running soon.

Update: Tinder tells us that its issue today has been resolved. "A technical issue prevented some users from accessing Tinder earlier today," a spokesperson told SlashGear. "We found a resolution and quickly resumed service. We ask our users to ensure that they have updated the app and are running the most recent version."