'Sorry my phone died': US couple to finally meet after Tinder joke went on for 3 years

Most people use online dating app Tinder to match up with potential partners instantly.

However, one pair has played the long game, messaging each other for three years without ever meeting in real life.

And now, Tinder is sending them to Hawaii for their first date.

Mr Josh Avsec, 22, and Miss Michelle Arendas, 21, first matched on Sept 20, 2014. Mr Avsec made the first move, with a "Hey Michelle".

As with some Tinder experiences, he was ghosted by her. However, two months later, she actually replied, with the amusing excuse that her phone had died. Their conversation went on for two more speech bubbles, before it ceased.

Then another two months later, Mr Avsec replied "Hey, sorry was in the shower", probably as a jibe at her phone-charging excuse. He did not get a reply.

A month later, she replied with a comical "sorry I was in class".

This type of hilarious exchange went on for three years, with the longest silence being the 10-month stretch from December 2015 to October last year.

After Mr Avsec posted screenshots of their conversation on Twitter on Saturday (July 8), the tweet went viral, and as of Wednesday (July 12) afternoon, has about 11,000 retweets and over 40,000 likes.

Netizens are rooting for them to actually meet up and go out on a date, with some suggesting that they should get married.

In fact, even Tinder itself noticed, and reached out to them to fly them on holiday together for their first date.

The pair decided to go to Hawaii but no date has been set