Gen Z is Reviving Double Dates – Here’s Why, Says Young App Creator

Swiping, liking, messaging, ghosting. They just don’t hit like they used to. No one has experienced this dating app lull more than Gen Zers, who entered the dating world at a time when apps and virtual romance reigned supreme.

As dating apps struggle to appeal to younger daters, Gen Z is looking elsewhere for satisfying romantic connections. Or, at least, they’re looking for a different technological approach.

Double dates are making a roaring comeback among Gen Z daters. Apps like Fourplay, Doubble, and the upcoming DuoDate offer a refreshing alternative to the increasingly stale swipe-and-match dating app cycle. Unlike the dating apps we’ve grown accustomed to, these double dating apps hope to foster real-world connections without sacrificing safety or comfort.

Nick Saris, DuoDate’s founder and CEO, knows better than some app creators what young people are looking for. A current college student, Saris’ idea for a double dating app was sparked by a common safety concern he noticed in his own generation. What if the person you met online isn’t who they say they are, or secretly has dangerous intentions?

Double Dates Provide Comfort and Security

Fourplay Social, a double dating app that also offers in-person social events, provides safety resources to its users on its website. But for a more in-depth look at how today’s youngsters feel about safety while dating, we turned to Slide1828, a UK-based dating app for people between the ages of 18 and 28. The app’s March 2025 Gen Z love report found that 48% of Gen Z respondents believe double dates would help ease their dating anxiety when it comes to safety and their own performance. Meanwhile, 53.3% of respondents said they’d consider interacting with someone on an app who wants to organize a double date.

Gen Z may have dating anxiety, but it doesn’t always stop them from seeking physical connections in real life. Instead of relying solely on a dating app, 61.6% of respondents would trust their friend to set them up with someone.

When Saris learned that people in his life were bringing friends on dates as a safety precaution against catfish or, worse, predators, he saw an opportunity. “I believe this is where most dating apps have fallen short,” he told us. “They’ve become more focused on becoming profitable over creating a secure and authentic dating environment online through their product.”

A Dating App For, And By, Gen Z

Like other double dating apps, DuoDate matches two friends up with a complimentary pair of friends. What makes DuoDate different is the unique perspective of the people who created it. “I and some other members of our team … were too young to use [dating apps], but were still influenced by how they shifted and molded the mindsets of people, and the attitudes that they had when using these apps,” Saris explained.

But his generation didn’t respond as positively to dating app culture as previous generations did.

It’s commonly believed that Gen Z is disproportionately dependent on technology, but that doesn’t mean they hold stock in social media fame. Slide1828 found that almost 70% of respondents are indifferent to social media clout, and 26% of respondents say it isn’t attractive to them at all. With this in mind, it makes sense why Saris emphasized his generation’s interest in making authentic, real-world connections. Likes, clicks, and follows just aren’t as thrilling as they used to be.

One of the most damaging habits dating apps may have contributed to is people’s obsession with image: How they’re perceived online, how they can curate the perfect dating profile, and how they can use filters and photo editing tools to their advantage.

“Everything’s like a big game,” Saris said. Dating has become strangely dehumanized “because of how broad the dating pool is online, how you’re just another swipe or tap away from meeting another person.”

To combat these dangerous habits, as well as shake off the dating app fatigue that has seemingly swept the nation, Saris told us that his generation is ready to venture back out into the real world for true love — at their own pace, of course.

Younger Daters Are Rediscovering In-Person Romance

“We want to make sure [the dating app experience is] more authentic and genuine, and we want to make sure it’s more social than isolationist, and that people feel safer and more comfortable using these apps,” he said. Safety and authenticity are important to Gen Z, and Saris hopes that DuoDate’s double date format, where dates always have their besties by their side, will help young daters feel more comfortable while making real, long-lasting connections.

Like Fourplay Social and Doubble, DuoDate plans on organizing a slew of social events at restaurants, concerts, and festivals to make in-person dating less intimidating to Gen Zers. In-person connections at social events may sound obvious to seasoned daters, but for young people born into a technological world, it’s a brave leap into an unknown dating landscape.

With DuoDate, Saris is responding to the needs of his own generation — an age group that older generations regularly seek insight into. Although DuoDate is currently available only to students at Ohio State University, there’s no telling how it will grow, and how its young demographic will change as they age. For now, DuoDate’s emphasis on double dating, safety, and in-person connections points to a generation on the cusp of a new dating era.