Dating apps could be in trouble – here's what might take their place

Since it first appeared with the launch of match.com Around 10% of heterosexual people and 24% of LGBT people have met their long-term partner online, according to Pew Research Center. But evidence suggests that young people are switching off dating apps, with the UK's top 10 seeing a fall of nearly 16%, according to a report published by Ofcom in November 2024. Tinder lost 594,000 users, while Hinge dropped by 131,000, Bumble by 368,000 and Grindr by 11,000, the report said (a Grindr spokesperson said they were "not familiar with this study's source data" and that their UK users "continue to rise year over year"). According to a 2023 Axios study of US college students and other Gen Zers, 79% said they were forgoing regular dating app usage.