The company behind dating app Tinder acquired Chill, the maker of the photo messaging app Tappy, according to TechCrunch.

Tappy works in a similar way to Snapchat, with messages disappearing after 24 hours. All conversations have to be initiated with a photo, after which they can become a chat thread to an individual or with a group.

The inbox of Tappy resembles a newsfeed with photos acting as cover art for each chat.

Tinder already has a similar service in the form of Tinder Moments (pictured), which enables users to send a picture message to all of their matches in one go. They can write messages and add filters or drawings on the images. Recipients can then like the ‘Moment’ or start a chat.

More than 50 per cent of Tinder users make use of Tinder Moments. The service does not let users sent images privately to each other, however — something Tappy could potentially bring.

Co-founder and CEO Sean Rad told TechCrunch that the acquisition was an effort to bring in more talented staff to support the company’s ambitions for the next year.

He added that the Tappy team has developed technology that Tinder would be able to use in the future without having to develop it itself.

Tappy will be shut down as a result of the acquisition.

Tinder sees 1.5 billion swipes of profiles on its dating app with 21 million matches made each day.

“We not only want to get better at the way we use criteria to connect people, but we want to broaden the reasons for connecting in the first place. The Tappy team will help us tackle both fronts, the pre-match experience of creating that first connection and the post-match experience of communicating with that person,” Rad told TechCrunch.

The financial terms for Tinder’s first acquisition were not disclosed, but TechCrunch said Chill has received more than $10 million in funding.