Key Takeaways

Dating app fatigue transformed the dating industry in 2025. Gone are the days when singles associated romance with right swipes and “likes” on a profile pic; in-person matchmaking and IRL dating have taken over the romance sector. 

And yet, the DatingNews and Kinsey Institute study “State of Us: National Study on Modern Love & Dating in 2025” found that U.S. singles have averaged fewer than two in-person dates in the last year. We know that people want to find love — they just don’t know how to do so in an efficient and authentic way. 

This year, singles told us loud and clear what they’re looking for: authentic matches, unique forms of connection, and less rigid definitions of the word “relationship.” Some singles simply need a helping hand from dating professionals to make their dating goals a reality. 

Match Group and the Kinsey Institute’s annual “Singles in America” (SIA) survey also yielded fascinating insights into the mind of the average singleton. With 75,000 respondents, the survey shows how the average dater isn’t always going to have the same interests and dating goals year after year. 

“​Today’s singles are rejecting the one-size-fits-all approach to dating,” Dr. Justin Garcia, Chief Scientific Advisor to Match and Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute, explained. 

As we at DatingNews look forward to 2026 dating trends, we’ll remember how singles in 2025 were willing to get vulnerable and find IRL professional help in search of authentic matches. 

Monogamy No More 

No, throuples are probably not about to take over date night. But society’s strict attitude toward ethical nonmonogamy (ENM) is starting to loosen, giving way to more experimental relationship dynamics. “Singles in America” signaled this growing change in its annual report: 

“All age groups are showing interest in non-monogamy, according to our data, but Gen Xers are particularly leaning in,” psychologist and Kinsey researcher Dr. Amanda Gesselman told DatingNews. “These are singles who have already experienced long-term relationships or marriage, and are now asking themselves, ‘What actually works for me?’”

As singles expand their definition of “commitment,” they’re also searching for dating platforms and professionals that cater to their specific needs. We’ve seen this more than ever in recent years, with ENM-supportive dating app Feeld’s revenue jumping 26% in 2024. 

Feeld CEO Ana Kirova told DatingNews that the key to a modern platform’s survival is adaptability. “Feeld reflects that shift by continuing to listen to our members and adapt the platform to their needs, while keeping exploration, curiosity, and consent at the center of everything we do,” she said. 

With SIA reporting that 50% of millennials are “bored of vanilla sex,” platforms are going into 2026 with a newfound focus on curiosity, experimentation, and openmindedness. After all, Gen Z, too, are putting their inhibitions aside, with 64% of Gen Z wanting more adventurous sexual experiences. 

As DatingNews’ resident Op-Ed writer Hayley Folk said, Gen Z’s renewed open-mindedness toward sex and monogamy isn’t totally unexpected. “[Gen Z has] watched dating norms shift in real time,” she explained. 

“[They’ve] grown up questioning binary structures (as they should!) and developed a keen awareness of how language can shape identity. It makes sense that they’d crave more flexible ways to define (or not define) their relationships,” Folk added. 

Gen Z’s “keen awareness” of identity’s flexibility isn’t going anywhere, especially as more platforms evolve to meet these changing needs. The international dating app Ysos bet on ENM’s growing popularity when it expanded into the U.S. this year, for instance. 

The Growth of In-Person Matchmaking 

It can feel like the dating industry is composed mainly of apps and AI chatbots, but the opposite proved to be true in 2025. Matchmakers became major, if pricey, sources of romance this year: Three Day Rule reported five times the average number of clients aged 27 or younger. 

In their search for the perfect match, daters are more selective than ever (35%, according to SIA). Their discerning eye is partly due to the increase of stereotypes on dating apps, which makes it more difficult to attain authentic matches. 

When we all assume that men are afraid of commitment and women want rich providers, won’t we all end up disappointed and confused? 

These assumptions point to an ongoing problem in the world of dating apps, and in the dating industry at large: miscommunication. 

Forty-three percent of SIA respondents say their relationship expectations (serious vs. casual, for example) have been misaligned in the past, and 41% say a difference in communication styles has only led to more confusion. 

As a neutral third party, matchmakers can bridge the gap between miscommunicating couples. They have the tools and skills to avoid stereotype-based matchmaking and ensure a couple’s values are aligned. 

Singles were more likely to turn to matchmakers in 2025 than in the past, but the financial barrier cannot be denied. More than half of singles (55%) surveyed for “The State of Us” said they haven’t spent a dime on dating in the past year. 

Times are tough, and many singles would rather pay their rent than shell out hard-earned cash on a matchmaker. 

And yet, those who do invest in their love lives seem to be the better for it; nearly half (46.7%) of surveyed singles told DatingNews/Kinsey Institute that spending money on love was worth it. Even parents are turning to matchmakers to help give their children a stable and fulfilling future. 

Three Day Rule’s VP of Membership, Erika Kaplan, told DatingNews how parents are “taking a more proactive role by researching matchmaking services” for their children. It’s all in an effort to, as she told us, “facilitate more intentional ways for their kids to date” — and, yes, these parents often foot the bill in the process.

With parents and their children willing to pay for high-quality matchmakers, there’s clearly a growing demand for professional, personalized, and most importantly, in-person dating services.  

Daters Want Features That Promote Authenticity 

Back in January, we saw the writing on the wall: Social Discovery Group’s trend study found that 70% of participants wanted their dating profiles to be more reflective of their authentic selves. From then on, authenticity defined dating in 2025. 

Daters made it clear they crave authenticity on two fronts: from their dates and from the platforms and professionals who help facilitate them. After all, authenticity isn’t just about being yourself, but about being upfront about your intentions, relationship goals, and boundaries. 

Seventy-one percent of SIA respondents said people should discuss core values within the first few dates — no beating around the bush in 2025.

For proof that modern daters are looking for authentic matches with real potential for long-term success, look no further than SIA’s top two relationship dealbreakers: dishonesty (83%) and emotional unavailability (67%). 

This year, we learned that users want dating platforms and matchmakers alike to help users express their most authentic selves. Intuitive, AI-enhanced personality quizzes, communication aids, and thought-provoking chatbots are just a few of the modern tools that daters say they find valuable. 

As stated, users also crave authenticity from the platforms and professionals they consult for dating help. They need to know they can trust these dating resources with their personal data, hence the growth of ID verification, fake profile detectors, and AI-enabled facial recognition software on apps. 

Hinge is one of many dating apps that innovated “to support our daters with making a great and authentic first impression on others” in 2025. Other apps innovated to answer daters’ call for authenticity in 2025, from Tinder’s Double Date and Grindr’s ‘Taken on Grindr’ to Feeld’s authenticity campaign with Kesha.

Perhaps this desire for authenticity explains users’ renewed love of romance: 73% of SIA respondents said they believe romantic love can last forever, and people are even more likely to believe in love at first sight now than they were a decade ago (60% in 2025 vs. 34% in 2014). 

Love at first sight, long-lasting love; commitment is certainly on an upward trend as we head into 2026. Nearly half of SIA respondents said they only want to have sex when they’re in a committed relationship. 

With commitment and sexual fluidity on daters’ minds, it’s clear two things can exist at once: Daters can be more open-minded about nonmonogamy while embracing monogamy in their own relationship. 

This may seem like a paradox, but it actually reveals modern daters’ need to think deeply about their own desires. More than ever, they’re asking themselves what they want and what they’re willing to try — and they’re looking to the dating industry to help them make these decisions.