These days, a couple meeting IRL feels a little bit retro. That’s because, over the past decade, online dating has evolved from a novelty to a mainstay of modern, digital culture. In the U.S., for example, about half of people looking for serious relationships are doing so on dating apps. Those numbers are lower elsewhere, like in the U.K., but even there, about a third of Gen Z and Millennials are swiping.
Chatter about the decline of dating apps is everywhere, yet Tinder and Bumble still rank in the top 10 mobile apps globally by consumer spending. So is dating app burnout actually widespread or not? We used our social listening and analytics solution to crunch the numbers on millions of social media data points to see how the digital conversation is trending and how brands are responding.
How much are people talking about dating apps?
Social media mentions of online dating and dating apps from April 15, 2024, to April 14, 2025
Over the past year (April 15, 2024 to April 14, 2025), social media users have mentioned online dating and dating apps more than 4.64 million times, averaging at about 12,700 mentions per day. The overall volume has held mostly steady, with a slight 8% uptick from October 15, 2024 to April 14, 2025 compared to the six months prior. Meanwhile, the biggest spike in conversation was generated by a post on X associating app-less dating with the effortless cool exuded by Turkish Olympic sharpshooter Yusuf Dikeç.
How do people feel about dating apps?
Sentiment of social media mentions of online dating and dating apps from April 15, 2024 to April 14, 2025
The dating app discussion isn’t all lovey dovey. About 27% of the 4.64 million social media mentions from mid-April 2024 to mid-April 2025 were negative compared to just 16% positive. This imbalance aligns with the growing narrative in media coverage about widespread souring regarding dating apps.
How are dating apps responding to online dating fatigue?
Dating app brands have clearly been taking notice of the narrative online and evolving their messaging in response. Here's how.
Tinder
Tinder’s “It Starts With A Swipe™” campaign proclaims, “It’s great to be wrong about Tinder,” speaking directly to the skeptics in its target audience. By portraying the romance of small, awkward shared moments on dates — like ordering too spicy food at a restaurant or getting seated behind a pillar at a concert — Tinder positions itself as the starting point for authentic, meaningful experiences.
Hinge
Hinge has long subverted expectations with its tagline, “The dating app designed to be deleted,” so its latest ad campaign, “It’s Funny We Met on Hinge” fits perfectly into its brand. In the collection of videos, real-life couples discuss meeting their now-partners on Hinge after having earlier encountered them in real life. Along with real people voicing their (seemingly) unscripted doubts about the app, the ads position Hinge as a tool for connection with people in your existing communities and social circles, preserving the element of romantic serendipity.
Plenty of Fish
On social media, Plenty of Fish, or POF, is leveraging UGC and content creators to strengthen its positioning as “the dating app where you can truly be yourself.” Forgoing professional lighting and sets for authentic content filmed from smartphones (along with real-life snapshots of real-life couples) the brand gives users license to come to the app exactly as they are.
Takeaways for marketers
Despite visible skepticism and disappointment, dating apps are still an important and deeply embedded part of modern dating in many parts of the world. Dating app brands are openly acknowledging this cultural evolution, as well as the resulting shifts in what their audiences expect, prefer, and need. From linking apps with organic connection to highlighting real stories from real users, current dating app marketing trends are examples for marketers across segments of how to address consumer frustrations head-on.
