Tinder, Bumble and Hinge: 69% of Dating App Installs Deleted Within a Month, AppsFlyer Data Shows
Major dating apps including Tinder and Bumble are facing a growing retention problem among Gen Z users, according to reporting and industry data. A Fast Company piece has highlighted a broader shift away from endless swiping toward more meaningful, in-person connections; that trend is reflected in app-analytics figures and recent survey results.
App analytics firm AppsFlyer found that roughly 65% of new dating-app installs were deleted within a month in 2024, and that rate reportedly rose to 69% in 2025 — a dramatic indicator of early-stage disengagement. Those figures suggest many users try a service once but do not stick around to become active or paying members.
Experts and researchers point to a paradox of choice and emotional fatigue as key drivers. With large volumes of profiles to browse, the swipe-based experience can feel impersonal. Wendy Walsh, a psychology professor at California State University and a dating expert quoted in the original report, said: “They’re often terrified of dating in person, and the apps … essentially translate to their worst fear.”
Surveys back up a move away from app-centric dating toward offline social contexts. A 2024 Forbes Health survey found that 79% of Gen Z users reported fatigue with major apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble. Separately, a Kinsey Institute and DatingAdvice.com study indicates that more than 90% of Gen Z would prefer meeting through social gatherings, classes, or other offline settings.
The shift is creating pressure on established companies. Parent company Match Group enacted a workforce reduction of about 13% as part of a wider restructuring; its Q2 2025 results showed a 5% drop in paying users to 14.1 million even as it pursued greater monetization of the remaining base.
Industry observers say the combination of onboarding churn, survey-reported fatigue, and changing preferences for in-person meeting points could force dating brands to rethink product strategy and user experience. For many young people, dating remains important, but the way they want to start relationships appears to be changing — moving away from sustained app use toward shorter, more purposeful interactions and more offline meetups.
