Musk’s X Sets Sights on Dating as Half of Urban Consumers Use Apps to Find Love

While social media apps remain the primary means for consumers to connect with friends and family online, the adoption of dating apps is growing at a faster pace, with an increasing number of consumers now using them for their romantic pursuits.

In fact, 73 million consumers across the United States log in to dating apps including Bumble, Tinder and Hinge each month to search for dates, hookups and partners, and 25 million of them log in every single day.

Overall, the use of dating apps has increased by 21% year over year, with 13 million more consumers utilizing them in 2023 compared to the previous year.

These are some of the key findings detailed in “The Love and Social Media Edition” of the ConnectedEconomy™ Monthly Report, in which PYMNTS Intelligence explores how social media is changing online dating and how consumers are using digital tools in their everyday lives. 

Another key finding from the research study is that the majority of these dating app users reside in urban areas, with 50% of urban consumers engaging with dating apps, compared to 19% and 16% of suburban and rural consumers, respectively.

In terms of gender, men were found to be more likely than women to log into dating apps or sites daily, with 12% of men using them daily compared to 7.5% of women. 

Drilling down into the demographics showed that Generation Z consumers and millennials are the most active users of dating apps and sites, with 55% of Gen Z and 50% of millennials utilizing them. Additionally, nearly 1 in 5 millennials and Gen Z consumers use dating apps or sites every day.

Moreover, the report revealed that more than three-quarters of online dating users employ social media platforms to investigate potential dates. In fact, 90% of consumers who use dating apps also utilize social media, with 78% of them specifically using social media to examine potential dates’ profiles. This trend is particularly prominent among Generation Z consumers, with nearly 60% of them employing other apps to conduct social media profile checks on potential dates.

The report also provided insights into the most downloaded dating apps in the U.S.

Tinder, Bumble and Hinge emerged as the top three most downloaded apps, accounting for approximately 60% of all downloads. Other apps such as Plenty of Fish, MeetMe, Tagged, Grindr, Badoo and Wink constituted the remaining 40% of downloads. Interestingly, around 15% of consumers who download these apps end up paying for subscriptions.