📉 The Dating App Reality Check

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Jun 15

Let's start with what's actually happening on the apps that promised to revolutionise romance across three very different markets.

The industry itself is shifting under pressure. Bumble just launched a feature called "Plans," flipping its model to prioritize real-life meetups over endless swiping joining Tinder and Hinge in pushing users toward in-person experiences instead of keeping them scrolling. Meanwhile Hinge has quietly become the relationship-focused leader: 87% of its users report looking for something serious, and more married couples met there than on Tinder or Bumble individually. The apps themselves seem to be admitting that pure swiping isn't working anymore.