• 34% of US dating app users aged 16 to 28 are single and currently dating, up from 23% last year, per Bloomberg Intelligence.
  • The survey covered 1,000 US dating app users, split evenly between men and women, and was fielded 26 August to 21 September.
  • Under-30s remain wary of AI-infused dating apps, Bloomberg reported.
  • Match Group reports third-quarter results on 2 November 2026.

Young singles are dating more, but they remain wary of AI in their dating apps. Bloomberg reported on 28 October that a Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) survey of 1,000 US dating app users found 34% of those aged 16 to 28 are single and currently dating, up from 23% last year.

Bloomberg said the AI wariness among under-30s may not bode well for companies adapting their products to cater to younger generations. BI researchers also found that as the cohort has aged, it has become more willing to pay for subscriptions, though it remains more price-sensitive than millennials.

The DII Take

This is a positive demand signal for the industry, and a weaker product signal than operators want. More young singles dating and a growing willingness to pay is what subscription businesses need to hear. But if the same cohort resists AI features, the roadmaps now being built around it deserve harder questions.

What the numbers do and do not say

The 2026 sample is app users only, so the 34% describes a cohort already on the apps, not young adults generally. Bloomberg's reporting does not make clear how AI scepticism was measured this year, and DII has not seen the full BI report.

The earlier wave offers a baseline. Fielded in May 2025 among nearly 1,000 US respondents, it found Gen Z more uncomfortable than millennials with using AI to draft profile prompts, respond to messages or modify photos. Bloomberg noted at the time that Gen Z makes up about half of Tinder's monthly active users, and that Match Group (MTCH) executives had pointed to AI as a way to lift Gen Z engagement.

Operating data is mixed. Match Group reported that Tinder daily active users fell 4% year on year in the second quarter, the best result in 10 quarters. Hinge revenue rose 22%. At Bumble (BMBL), the company said total paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2 million. DII covered that decline earlier.

Match Group reported that Tinder daily active users fell 4% year on year in the second quarter, the best result in 10 quarters.

What to watch

Match Group reports third-quarter results on 2 November, with revenue guidance of $885M to $895M. Listen for whether Tinder's AI features are framed as opt-in tools or as the core product, and for any comment on Gen Z payment behaviour.

  • Bloomberg Intelligence's 34% figure suggests a larger pool of young singles actively dating, but it covers app users only and comes from a different fielding window than the 2025 wave.
  • Continued AI wariness among under-30s is a product risk for Tinder and Bumble, both of which were pushing new AI features, Gizmodo reported in March.
  • Match Group's 2 November results are the next test of whether youth engagement is translating into revenue.

Sources: Match Group second quarter 2026 results (Match Group / SEC); Bumble Inc. announces second quarter 2026 results (Bumble Inc.); Gen Z Is Still Skeptical of AI-Infused Dating Apps, New Survey Finds (Bloomberg); AI dating app features aren't landing with Gen Z, new survey finds (The Star, Bloomberg copy); Match Group Q2 2026 earnings call transcript (Motley Fool); Tinder's solution to dating app burnout is more AI (Gizmodo)