Key Takeaways
- Daters are embracing intentional dating and want platforms to facilitate serious and authentic relationships.
- Singles have had a positive response to profile verification and expect increased safety measures from dating platforms in the coming year.
- Singles are looking for love outside the apps, and platforms can meet this need by creating community-centered, in-person dating events.
Coffee Meets Bagel doesn’t only want to evolve for future dating trends. The dating app is determined to meet the desires of the modern dater — and to predict their needs before they even know what they are.
CMB’s very first Dating Realness Report dives into the headspace of the modern dater. In partnership with YouGov, CMB asked daters to describe their ideal relationship dynamics and their dating expectations, as well as their thoughts on the role AI should play in the dating world.
Dr. Terri Orbuch — you may know her as The Love Doctor — contributed to the report, and highlighted “a growing tension between craving connection and feeling frustrated by the [dating] process — from ghosting and mixed signals to struggling to start conversations or keep them going.”
With the Dating Realness Report as a guide, CMB will attempt to bridge this gap between connection and online dating in 2026.
DatingNews spoke to CEO Quincy Yang about the app’s plans for the coming year, including its focus on tech innovations and IRL community-building. Yang said the company’s ultimate goal is to foster an environment where “people show up with clarity and intention.”
This means investing not only in dating tech, but in the daters themselves. Yang gave DatingNews an in-depth look at the types of innovations and investments he has in store for Coffee Meets Bagel users in 2026, all inspired by the illuminating Dating Realness Report:
Q: Gen Z professionals are moving away from vibe-only interactions. What signs inside CMB point to this shift toward more intentional dating?
Coffee Meets Bagel has always been built for serious daters, but we’re seeing Gen Z professionals lean into intentionality more than ever. This shift away from “vibe-only” or surface-level interactions is reflected clearly in how they show up on the app.
One strong indicator is how Gen Z daters are choosing and completing their profile prompts. Instead of prompts focused on identity statements — historically more common among millennial male daters — they’re selecting prompts that centre on compatibility and long-term relationship success.
For Gen Z men, top prompts now include: “What makes a relationship successful?”, “What’s your love language?”, and “In a partner, I’m looking for…” — the same prompts most popular among millennial women.
Gen Z women show similar patterns, favouring prompts that signal emotional awareness and relationship values.
Nearly 90% of Gen Z users fill out at least one prompt (more than millennials), and this percentage has grown +14 to 19% year-to-date since the beginning of 2025 (higher growth than millennials).
Beyond profiles, Gen Z is seeking more offline connections. Our recent offline activations — from Rollin’ Bagels in New York City to The Coffee Party in Canada, plus community events led by matchmaker Cassindy Chao — have all seen strong turnout. This appetite for real-world connection reinforces the move toward more mindful, intentional dating.
Q: Situationship fatigue is real. What changes are you seeing in how users communicate expectations or define their relationship goals up front?
We’ve always believed in giving everyone a real chance at lasting love, and that starts with fostering an environment where people show up with clarity and intention.
Across our community, 91% of CMB daters say they’re looking for a serious relationship. And we take that seriously: during onboarding, users who indicate they’re looking for something casual are redirected to apps better suited for that. This helps protect the integrity of the ecosystem and reduces mismatched expectations from the start.
We’re also seeing clear shifts in how singles, especially Gen Z, communicate what they want:
- Through prompts:
- “In a partner I’m looking for…” is one of the most-used prompts among Gen Z daters, signalling a willingness to be upfront about values and expectations.
- Through dealbreakers:
- The share of daily active users with at least one dealbreaker set has grown from 48% to 53% in 2025 (+10%).
- The top dealbreakers? Relationship goals and marital preference, ahead of smoking, drinking, or age.
- Gen Z leads the way:
- They’re the most likely to set dealbreakers, a strong indicator that they’re over situationships and ready for clarity, commitment, and real connection.
Considering these behaviors together, this points to a generation that’s becoming more intentional, and more empowered to define what they want from the start, which is exactly the type of dating culture CMB is built to support.
CMB has designed our app for intentional dating from the beginning and we are recently observing even other casual dating apps following suit.
Q: You predict real photos and imperfect moments will matter more in 2026. What behaviors or feature engagement tell you authenticity is becoming a priority for singles?
Gen Z’s preference for authenticity is already visible across their digital behaviour, looking at the rise of TikTok and the shift away from highly curated content. That same mindset is shaping how they date.
At CMB, authenticity has long been a core value, and our recent profile verification (which requires a user to take a live selfie video from our app) rollout affirmed that. We saw a 75% adoption rate within the first month, demonstrating how much singles value a dating environment where people feel safe, real, and accountable.
We also see authenticity reflected in how daters use the app: those who verify their profiles, thoughtfully fill out prompts, and initiate genuine conversations tend to have more meaningful interactions. As we look toward 2026, we expect real, unfiltered moments to matter even more.
And while dating apps remain an important tool — especially for busy professionals — the key is pairing them with healthy habits: being intentional with matches, engaging sincerely, following through, and not ghosting. Verification is one simple step that reinforces this culture of trust and transparency.
Q: Singles are open to AI as long as it supports human connection. What is the right role for AI inside dating apps in 2026 based on what you are observing?
It is important for dating apps to lead with value, and not technology for technology’s sake.
Authenticity is non-negotiable for Gen Z, so the right role for AI in 2026 is to quietly enhance the dating experience: improving dater outcomes, reducing effort, and freeing up time for daters to build real, in-person connections.
According to our CMB Dating Realness Survey, while 80% of US respondents are generally comfortable with AI assistance in their dating journey, 88% said that they want to have full control over how AI is used in their dating experience.
Top aspects they want assistance in including:
- Helping me respond to common questions about myself from matches more efficiently, especially when there are multiple matches.
- Finding better matches based on values or conversation style.
- Improving my profile to attract better matches.
Q: You say the first date gap is shrinking. What is motivating singles to meet in person sooner, and how are you seeing that play out on CMB?
We’re observing daters, especially Gen Z, moving from match to contact exchange more quickly than millennials (average 4 days versus 5 days). This shorter window signals a growing preference for meeting in person sooner, and for fostering in-person chemistry.
At CMB, we’ve always believed that real connection happens offline, and the app’s role is simply to spark that first meaningful interaction. For busy professionals, dating apps are a crucial starting point, and the relationship truly begins IRL.
That’s why we’re continuing to invest in creating more opportunities for fact-to-face connection as we head into 2026, both through product experiences and in-person community events that help turn online intention to offline connection.
