Dating apps have long been a hit – but Gen Z is no longer keen on swiping and is returning to real-life meetings. This fundamentally changes the dating app industry and brings about new trends.
Dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have been the go-to places for years to meet new people. However, more and more young people, especially from Generation Z, find online dating to be more of a stressful obligation than a fun experience.
The consequence: Gen Z wants to return to traditional dating with real encounters and spend less time on their phones.
Anyone who believes love is always sweet and rosy should take a look at the video for Romantic Killer – romance quickly turns into a turbulent nightmare here:
When swiping and algorithms are no longer enough
Why is online dating so stressful? Generation Z grows up in a time when dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, or Bumble are ubiquitous. Nevertheless, many report that the constant swiping, chatting, and waiting for responses causes more stress than joy. According to a survey by Forbes from 2024, over 75% of Gen Z users of dating apps feel completely burned out. Especially since they experience hardly any real connections despite the high time investment.
Ilana Dunn, former Content Director at Hinge and now a dating coach, explains to Fortune: “It’s so much easier to hide behind a phone and think about the message you are crafting.” A real conversation, a spontaneous moment, that’s what many miss.
What does Gen Z look for in dating? Gen Z is no longer interested in endless swiping, as the magazine The Guardian reports. Instead of scrolling through profiles and writing messages for hours, many desire real encounters. Personal, spontaneous, direct. They want to feel the chemistry immediately, without chatting for days first.
What is becoming increasingly popular is what is known from series and films: the classic “meet-cute.” These are accidental, charming first encounters – sometimes a bit quirky, often romantic, but always special. For example, when you both reach for the same novel in a bookstore. Or get to know each other over a mishap while partying.
That’s why events like “meet-cute” parties, wine evenings, or singles events are gaining popularity. While dating apps are trying to respond with new features – such as double dates or fewer matches at a time – the trend toward real encounters is unmistakable.
What does this mean for dating apps? Ilana Dunn does not believe that dating apps will completely disappear, but their role will change. The golden days, when apps were the only dating platform, are over. Instead, personal meetings and events may become the new “normal.” More real encounters, more spontaneous conversations – that’s exactly what Gen Z wishes for. This doesn’t mean that apps are completely redundant, but they are no longer the only means to an end.
And this change is already evident in the numbers: The Match Group, which includes Tinder and Hinge, reported falling profits in the first quarter of 2025. The number of paying users also dropped by 5%.
No wonder, then, that dating apps are now introducing new features. After all, Millennials have repeatedly claimed that a new generation is supposedly “destroying” an industry. Now, it affects the dating app industry, or more precisely: another industry that must adapt to change.
Despite all the new features and events, loneliness remains a major problem for many young people. Especially Gen Z feels the constant pressure of being judged and rejected. This feeling makes dating extremely challenging and shows how difficult it can be to find genuine connection today.
