Hinge, Tinder, Bumble: Gen Z Fatigue Drives Dating App Declines as Industry Hunts for Authenticity
Young daters are shaking up the app economy. According to mobile analytics firm AppsFlyer, 65% of dating apps downloaded in 2024 were deleted within a month — a figure that rose to 69% in 2025, Fast Company reports. The trend, particularly pronounced among Gen Z, is forcing major platforms to rethink product strategy and marketing.
The shift follows a pandemic-era surge in app use that many now describe as temporary. As one background to that change, Gen Z spent formative years socializing online: a pattern some see as reversing. A local report noted the migration away from screens, emphasizing a renewed interest in meeting people offline (kimatv.com).
Experts quoted in the original piece point to lost social learning and heightened self-consciousness among younger adults. Wendy Walsh, dating and relationship expert for DatingAdvice.com and a psychology professor at California State University Channel Islands, argues Gen Z missed crucial in-person social practice during COVID, making phone calls and face-to-face meetings feel intimidating to some.
Still, usage remains high. Pew Research found that 53% of adults under 30 have used a dating site or app, compared with smaller shares in older age groups (Pew Research).
An informal poll of Syracuse University students underscored ambivalence: disappointment at conversations that stall at text messaging, and a preference among many respondents for in-person connections or casual flings. Dating coach Grace Lee told the reporter that college students often feel embarrassed to rely on apps: “If you have any kind of social life, you’re not supposed to need one.”
Broader data backs up that frustration. A 2024 Forbes Health survey found 79% of Gen Z users reporting some degree of dating-app fatigue (Forbes Health). The Kinsey Institute and DatingAdvice.com survey also found most Gen Zers prefer offline meeting spots such as social gatherings, bookstores and classes.
Design and algorithm dynamics contribute: Walsh describes a “paradox of choice,” where abundant options devalue each possibility and users remain stuck swiping. That swiping fatigue, sometimes called “swiping fatigue,” affects other generations too (Bustle).
Financials show the business impact. Match Group — owner of Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish — warned of weak revenue forecasts in a Reuters report and posted mixed quarterly results in its investor materials (Reuters, Match Group investor release). The company reported $914.3 million in revenue for the quarter, up 2% year over year, while paying users declined by 5% (prepared remarks).
Tinder’s revenue slipped 3% year over year and paying users fell 7% to 9.3 million — a notable wobble for the platform that helped define swipe culture. By contrast, Hinge reported growth: Gen Z makes up 56% of Hinge’s user base and the app saw a 17% increase in paying users, benefiting from prompts and a design that encourages intentional dating (Match Group prepared remarks).
Competitor Bumble reported a 10% revenue decline and earlier layoffs, per its quarterly update (Bumble investor release).
Product innovation is shifting toward lower-pressure, social experiences. Tinder’s Double Date and College Mode have traction among younger users: Double Date users are 92% under 30, with paired women three times more likely to send a like and four times more likely to match; College Mode is used by roughly one in four eligible student users (Double Date, College Mode).
At the same time, companies are experimenting with AI tools to boost engagement — but Gen Z’s reaction is cautious. The original story linked to Fast Company’s coverage of AI in broader tech (Fast Company — Artificial Intelligence section) and noted a Fortune piece showing Gen Z’s discomfort with AI in dating products (Fortune).
Social psychologist Justin Lehmiller, senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, told the reporter that most single adults are wary of AI in intimate contexts and warned apps risk repelling users if technology feels inauthentic (sexandpsychology.com). A Bloomberg survey similarly found Gen Z hesitant about AI-generated bios and messages (Bloomberg).
Platform leaders frame the approach as supportive rather than substitutive. Tinder told the reporter it is shifting toward “low-pressure, authentic experiences” while using AI for security and safety. Bumble CTO Vivek Sagi said, “We want to harness the power of AI. Our goal is not to replace love or dating with technology; it’s to make human connection better and more compatible.” Hinge’s CEO Justin McLeod emphasized that generative AI should “support—not replace—people,” and Hinge is focusing on subtle tools like prompt feedback, Top Photo and message filters.
For now, Gen Z’s appetite for offline connection and authenticity is shaping product roadmaps. As the industry experiments with new modes and cautious AI features, platforms will be tested on whether they can deliver lower-pressure, more genuine ways to meet — or accelerate the exodus of short-lived installs.
