An app doesn’t get my recommendation just because it’s well-known — it has to be effective and safe. After testing it for a month, my verdict is that Pure is “hot, weird, and way better than Bumble” for finding a connection. The app never asks for your name, and all chats self-destruct in 24 hours. This creates a space for bold, honest conversations that I found were leagues above what I’ve experienced on other apps. Its whole matching system is built on an in-depth questionnaire.
He is also co-author of American Public Opinion and Health Care (CQ Press). These findings are part of an SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus poll conducted January 5–7 and 19-21, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 2,011 adults aged 18 and older. SSRS goes beyond the data to bring our professional and personal experiences in research to you.
Young adults have the highest online dating participation (48%) but moderate success rates. If you’re looking for traditional marriage with heavy family involvement, Shaadi.com may suit your needs. If you prefer fast-paced swiping among NRIs, Dil Mil fits the bill. However, if you want a modern, inclusive space that values identity, safety, and real emotional connection without the “matrimonial interview” vibe, MixerDates stands out as the superior choice for indian dating sites in the USA. In fact, research finds that participants believed starting their marriage online encourages self-disclosure, which led to building the relationship on emotional intimacy (vs. physical intimacy) (Sharabi, 2023). Finding the right partner starts before you even click on a dating app.
- “Most of what we can say about online dating from research is really more extrapolating from other kinds of studies,” Reis says.
- Although you won’t know right away whether someone has a dealbreaker or can meet your relationship needs, some profiles or initial conversations can help give you that information.
- Fully 56% of LGB users say someone on a dating site or app has sent them a sexually explicit message or image they didn’t ask for, compared with about one-third of straight users (32%).
These users also believe dating sites and apps generally make the process of dating easier. On the other hand, people who said online dating has had a mostly negative effect most commonly cite dishonesty and the idea that users misrepresent themselves. Other incidents highlight how dating sites or apps can become a venue for bothersome or harassing behavior – especially for women under the age of 35. A majority of adults nationally believe that relationships that begin on dating sites or apps are just as successful as those that begin with people who meet in person (61%).
It’s my go-to for daters in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who are established, know what they want, and are actually ready to find someone. Tinder reported over 6.1 million downloads in June 2024, making it the most downloaded dating app globally. Sometimes, it’s not completely clear what someone is looking for but once you are in touch with what you want, you can find out more when you message them. When looking at sexual orientation, lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) adults are more likely than their straight counterparts to say they have ever used a dating site or app (51% vs. 28%). Your unique combination of qualities appeals to someone specific.
However, the buzz around Bumble in the last year has been complicated. The company has faced declining growth and user trust issues, with some users on Reddit reporting that they were repeatedly seeing profiles they had already blocked. In late 2025, it launched a global campaign called “For the Love of Love,” marking a big pivot away from casual swiping toward real, meaningful relationships.
A new report from Pew Research Center explores the upsides and downsides of online dating by highlighting Americans’ experiences and views about it. Those who have used an online dating site or app were divided in their assessment of the experience. About four in ten (41%) said the experience has been positive, 32% said it has been negative, and 27% neither positive nor negative. Among dating site/app users, men and women give similar assessments of their experience. A major milestone in online dating is the first face-to-face meet-up.
Should I Pay For A Dating App?
More serious, relationship-minded individuals join platforms, increasing overall success rates. These findings are part of an SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus poll conducted January 5–7, and 19-21, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 2,011 adults aged 18 and older, asking about their online dating or app usage. The questionnaire was developed and the data analyzed by SSRS contributor, John M. Benson, with assistance from the SSRS team.
I’m keeping it on my list because it’s still a powerful tool for its target audience (aka women who get shit done), but it’s an app in transition. While total anonymity can be a red flag elsewhere, Pure balances it with clever safety features. There’s a Photo Verification Badge you can add to your profile. For those who don’t have it, the “True Photo” request lets you ask for a live photo in your chat to confirm you’re not talking to a bot or a catfisher, which gives some much-needed peace of mind. Plus, the app is completely free for women, which creates a great gender balance and https://match-truly.com/ a more active community. It’s an unconventional but surprisingly effective platform (especially if you’re into steamy phone sex with strangers!).
Dating App Fatigue Is Real I Tested The Best (and Worst) Apps Of 2026 To Find What Actually Works
Most importantly, your dating profile should feel authentic to you. ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. At the same time, six-in-ten Americans say companies should require background checks before someone creates a dating profile, while 15% say they should not and 24% are not sure. Women are more likely than men to say these checks should be required, as are adults 50 and older compared with younger adults.
If you’re a queer woman looking for love, chances are you’ve had your fair share of frustrating experiences on heteronormative dating sites. Between straight people looking for threesomes and creepy men pretending to be women, finding a safe and inclusive space to meet potential partners can be tough. That’s why I recommend HER, a dating app designed specifically for LGBTQ+ people, queer women, and non-binary individuals. A series of in-depth interviews revealed that a key reason for online dating is getting a lot of dating experience quickly (Sharabi, 2023). One person characterized it as “training wheels” to help them warm up to dating and learn what they wanted.
The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is conducted on the SSRS Opinion Panel. SSRS Opinion Panel members are recruited randomly based on a nationally representative ABS (Address Based Sample) design (including Hawaii and Alaska). ABS respondents are randomly sampled by Marketing Systems Group (MSG) through the U.S.
When you get frustrated, remind yourself why you are dating in the first place. It can become easy to lose sight of why you’re dating in the first place if you’re feeling frequently feeling bored or disappointed. When you remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place, it can help connect you to your motivation for dating and get you through the tough moments. Be honest with yourself about your relationship needs, intentions, and dealbreakers. When you know what you want and you’re honest with yourself about that, it can help you navigate online dating with intention, rather than wasting your time.
Success Rates By Age Group: The Detailed Breakdown
Others said they relied too heavily on online strategies, which led to them missing out on real-life opportunities. Goals changed over time (e.g., wanting short vs. long-term relationships), and many users had a “download and delete” experience where they went on the apps (typically several at a time) for a while, deleted them, and then tried again. For the most part, different demographic groups tend to view their online dating experiences similarly. College-educated online daters, for example, are far more likely than those with a high school diploma or less to say that their own personal experience with dating sites or apps is very or somewhat positive (63% vs. 47%). Tinder is getting much more serious about safety, especially regarding fake profiles.
Have you ever gone to the grocery store when you’re really hungry and ended up grabbing everything in sight? Similarly, if you’re feeling sad, lonely, or hopeless, it’s going to be difficult to make decisions that are aligned with your best interest. You may be more likely to overlook red flags or swipe right on profiles that clearly include a dealbreaker because of how you’re feeling.
