Key Takeaways
- Spain’s dating landscape is showing early signs of the same app fatigue that reshaped the U.S. market, with daters seeking more meaningful connections.
- Fewer daters are finding lasting love via dating apps in Spain, suggesting a growing demand for authenticity over algorithms.
- The resurgence of traditional matchmaking services in Spain signals a profitable shift toward human-led, trust-based relationship models.
Dating app fatigue is synonymous with America’s fast-paced and overstimulating online dating culture, but it’s no longer a strictly American problem.
Spanish newspaper The Olive Press brought growing dating app fatigue to the headlines when it wrote “Why Spain is falling out of love with dating apps.”
In answering this question, psychologist Adrián Chico came to a familiar conclusion: Today’s dating platforms in Spain have not adapted to modern daters’ needs, existing in a bygone era where quantity was more important than quality, and where casual relationships reigned supreme.
“I encounter many people who are exhausted from having so many matches on dating apps,” Chico said. “So many dates, so much connection with so many people, but at the same time they feel completely alone and feel that they will never find the person with whom to spend their life.”
Spain’s frustration with online dating is not unique. Dating app fatigue has touched the lives of countless dating app-users craving respite from endless profile picture carousels and tired “U up?” texts. In fact, sexologist Ignasi Puig Rodas told El País that “One of the complaints people have is that they want authenticity and only see superficial things.”
Only 26% Report Finding Love From Apps in Spain
Modern Spanish daters don’t want an overabundance of weak matches to choose from, but a handful of truly great ones. If dating platforms want to regain control in Spain, they’ll have to get back to basics by listening to what daters want and adapting in kind.
“It’s not about abandoning apps, but about rediscovering the meaning of genuine connection,” Chico explained.
“Genuine connection” pretty much sums up what all online daters, inside and outside Spain, are hoping to get from dating apps. A 2025 study by ExpressVPN found that 55% of dating app users in Spain are looking for a stable relationship, according to the study.
But the reality is far less cheerful: Only 26% of users report finding love via dating apps in Spain.
It’s important to note that many of the most popular dating apps in Spain, including Tinder and Badoo, facilitate casual relationships — what’s called “ligar” in Spain — which does not align with the serious, stable relationships desired by more than half of ExpressVPN’s survey respondents.
We’ve seen this cycle unfold in the U.S., with the result being a surge of demand for IRL connections. It’s possible that the same cycle is beginning in Spain, too. And according to one dating site, the return of in-person connections would bring Spanish daters back to their cultural roots.
“Spaniards are known for their passion and romanticism, making the dating scene in Spain both exciting and intriguing,” according to the elite matchmaking service, MillionaireMatch. The site says it has “gained popularity in Spain as a convenient way to meet new people” by providing a balance between virtual and real-life connections.
Perhaps this explains why matchmaking has recently regained popularity in Spain, with Carme Banús, founder of SamSara Matchmaking in Barcelona, telling El País that her matchmaking service has seen a marked increase of clients who come “looking for something real.”
Daters Seeking Real-Life Matchmaking Expertise
Matchmaking’s resurgence in Spain began at the height of the pandemic. “Around 80% of the people who come to us have previously used dating apps. And they arrive disappointed,” Banús explained. These clients have been so disappointed by the apps that they feel compelled to seek the real-life expertise of matchmakers.
MillionaireMatch highlighted a few hallmarks of Spanish culture that may be undermined by fast-paced hookup apps like Tinder and Badoo: Strong family values, shared meals, and a leisurely life pace, for instance.
“Taking the time to get to know someone, expressing genuine interest, and showing appreciation for their culture and traditions can go a long way in fostering connections and building meaningful relationships in Spain,” according to MillionaireMatch.
The same could be said for pretty much any other country, too, but the rise of dating app fatigue has led to a particularly noticeable decrease in dating app downloads in Spain.
Sensor Tower revealed how weekly Tinder downloads in Spain decreased from 28.8k to 16.3k in Q3 of 2025, while Badoo downloads decreased from 10k to 7.3k.
Regardless of whether this decline is due to dating app fatigue or a different factor, the decline is steady, especially when compared to the number of downloads at Tinder and Badoo in Q3 2024 (34.9k at Tinder and 17.4k at Badoo) compared to the same time period in 2025.
We’ll never know whether the people who chose not to download Tinder or Badoo in 2025 in Spain did so solely because of dating app fatigue, but we know this: As the world loses its enthusiasm for online dating, this decline will most likely happen in other countries.
