Are we falling out of love with dating apps?

Tinder lost more than 600,000 users under last year but remains most popular app. Credit: AP

Words by Lilly Croucher, Producer

The number of adults using dating sites to find romance is down for the first time as young people move towards a more authentic, "IRL" (in real life) experiences, according to Ofcom.

Online dating Apps like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr have long been used by those looking for casual flings, romantic dates and even true love, but more UK users appear to be turning away from the platforms.

According to Ofcom's annual Online Nation survey, which looks at our digital habits, one in ten people (4.9 million) used a dating site last year, but it seems that number is falling.

While still being the country's most popular app, Tinder lost 600,000 users (five per cent) last year while Hinge saw 131,000 (three per cent) fewer users, as did Bumble who dropped 368,000 (2.3 per cent) and Grindr which lost 11,000 (two per cent).

The decline has been attributed by some analysts to younger people, particularly those from Gen Z, who feel that dating apps has lost their novelty and felt disconnected.

Tinder says it is working to make its in-app experience better for young people. Credit: AP

After declining numbers were reported across consecutive quarters, Match Group, owner of Tinder, found that Gen Z users are looking “a lower pressure, more authentic way to find connections”.

In person events have become popular with young people which advertise making dating a more relaxed and exclusive experience.

In January 2024, Match Group, said it will be making changes to Tinder's in-app experience to connect with younger users, particularly women.

Despite this, dating apps reached 943,000 (18%) of 18-24-year-olds in May 2024, the highest reach to any adult age group, particularly for apps marketed for LGBTQ+ users.

Grindr, while also seeing user numbers drop, is still the fifth highest reaching dating app, and has by far the longest time spent on the app with visitors spending up to seven hours in-app versus those on Hinge (two hours 34 minutes) and Tinder (one hour three minuets).

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While Grindr is still the most popular app for LGBTQ+ users, apps like Sniffies and Scruff entered the top 10 highest reaching dating services for the first time.

Looking at the gender divide, men continue to outnumber women, 65% versus 35%, on all dating sites, except Hinge where women outnumber men where 53% are women.

Ofcom's figures also show that women spend on average 30 minutes longer online per day then men, with four hours 36 minutes for women versus four hours 3 minutes for men.

This gap is more extreme for Gen Z users with women aged 18-24 spending an hour more online than men averaging of six hours 36 minutes versus five hours 28 minutes for men.

While the dating and online habits continue to change, particularly among young people, it will be while before this slump in dating apps becomes a overall trend.

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