Facebook is blocked in China, which makes it difficult to use Tinder there, since the app asks users to log in through Facebook. Such restrictions can be bypassed by virtual private networks, services that allow users to reach the Internet as if they were coming from outside China’s firewall.

Still, Tinder is seen largely as a service for foreigners in China, where it faces several domestic competitors. Momo, which made its debut in late 2011 and claims more than 78 million active users, is often called the “Tinder of China.” And the app WeChat, used by more than 600 million people worldwide, is where most young Chinese do the bulk of their digital flirting.

In North Korea, there is much less opportunity for an app like Tinder to find an audience. Beyond a handful of elites, including people who work in specialized jobs like research and publishing state propaganda online, North Koreans do not have access to the Internet. The isolated, authoritarian state does have an intranet, Kwangmyong, which offers a limited selection of censored, domestic content.

Vicky Mohieddeen, creative project manager for Koryo Tours, a travel company that leads regular trips to North Korea, said she had never heard of anyone there using Tinder.

“There is limited Internet access,” Ms. Mohieddeen said by telephone from Beijing, where the tour company is based. “There are very few foreigners based permanently there. I don’t think there’s enough that you need to swipe to see who is there.”

While foreigners in North Korea can gain access to the Internet, few tourists want to pay for expensive 3G mobile service, Ms. Mohieddeen said. But some, she said, are quick to log into Tinder once they cross the border back into China.