Category: Hinge

Dating Apps Turn to AI After User Growth and Revenue Declines

Posted on December 29, 2025

BUSINESS INSIDER – Dating apps including Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and Grindr are investing tens of millions of dollars in AI-powered matchmaking to counter swipe fatigue, declining engagement, and falling paid-user numbers. Match Group’s stock is down ~75% over five years and its paying users fell 5% YOY, while Bumble’s share price is down ~50% this year, it laid off 30% of staff, and paying users dropped 18%. The companies are deploying generative AI for matchmaking, profile creation, flirting, and safety, with Tinder testing its Chemistry feature and Grindr launching AI-driven recommendation feeds. Analysts say AI alone cannot revive unpopular products. At the same time, AI-first startups are raising capital and entering the market, including Sitch, which has raised $9M and charges $90 for three matches, alongside new apps such as Known, Ditto, and Amata, while Facebook has introduced an AI dating assistant.

See full article at Business Insider

US Survivors Sue Match Group, Accusing Hinge and Tinder of Allowing a Known Rapist to Stay on the Apps

Posted on December 18, 2025

THE GUARDIAN – Six U.S. women have filed a lawsuit against Match Group, accusing Hinge and Tinder of enabling a Denver cardiologist, Stephen Matthews, to continue drugging and assaulting women despite multiple reports about him. Matthews, convicted in 2024 and sentenced to up to 158 years, was reportedly able to stay on Hinge, be labeled a “standout match,” unmatch victims before they could report him, and even rejoin Match apps after bans. The suit, supported by findings from the Dating App Reporting Project, argues Match Group’s design and moderation failures “accommodated rapists” by allowing banned or reported users to remain active. Match Group has previously said it invests in safety tools, though product testing shows banned users can still return on several of its apps. Legal experts say the case may struggle due to Section 230, which shields platforms from liability, but survivors maintain Match had the resources to prevent further harm.

See full article at The Guardian

Hinge Launches in Brazil

Posted on December 16, 2025
A man and woman lie on a blanket outdoors, laughing joyfully with the Hinge logo displayed in the center.

HINGE – Hinge has launched in Brazil, expanding into its second Latin American market after Mexico. The app enters a country where demand for more intentional dating is growing and brings features built around prompts, voice notes, and tools that encourage clearer communication and in-person dates. Hinge highlights safety and inclusion as core elements of its rollout, offering wide gender and orientation options alongside verification and behavior-filtering tools. The company says its research team, Hinge Labs, will continue studying dating trends to refine the product as it scales in Brazil.

See full article at Hinge

Hinge CEO Steps Down to Launch Overtone, an AI Dating App

Posted on December 10, 2025
Justin McLeod

TECH CRUNCH – Hinge CEO Justin McLeod is stepping down to launch Overtone, a new AI-driven dating product backed by Match Group, which will take a major ownership stake. Incubated inside Hinge, Overtone aims to use AI and voice tools to create more personal, thoughtful connections. McLeod joins other founders like Bumble’s Whitney Wolfe Herd in pursuing standalone AI matchmaking concepts as Gen Z grows increasingly disillusioned with traditional dating apps. Meanwhile, Hinge continues to lean into AI under incoming CEO Jackie Jantos, whose new features have already lifted user engagement. McLeod will remain an advisor through March as Hinge stays on track for $1B revenue by 2027.

See full article at Tech Crunch

Hinge Promotes Jackie Jantos to CEO, Tamika Young Becomes CMO

Posted on December 10, 2025
Portrait of a smiling woman with glasses, wearing a ruffled navy shirt against a green background.

ADWEEK –  Hinge has promoted president and CMO Jackie Jantos to CEO as founder Justin McLeod steps down to launch his new AI dating app, Overtone. McLeod will advise Hinge through March. Tamika Young, formerly SVP of global communications, has been elevated to chief marketing and communications officer. 

See full article at Adweek

Hinge’s New AI Feature Helps Daters Move Beyond Small Talk

Posted on December 9, 2025
Hinge Convo starter

TECH CRUNCH – Hinge launched “Convo Starters,” an AI feature that gives personalized suggestions for how to start a conversation when liking someone’s profile. The tool responds to user complaints about silent likes and boring small talk, and Hinge says daters are twice as likely to get a date when they add a comment. It builds on Hinge’s earlier AI Prompt Feedback feature, though Gen Z remains uneasy about AI in dating. Match Group is investing $20–30M into AI development across its apps.

See full article at Tech Crunch

Jackie Jantos – the Woman Behind Hinge, Match Group’s Star Performer

Posted on December 8, 2025
A woman with glasses smiling while sitting on a couch, dressed in a black shirt, with a plant in the foreground and a soft, blurred background.

FAST COMPANY – Hinge president and CMO Jackie Jantos has built the brand around authentic, imperfect real-world love stories to push users off the app and into actual dating. Her campaigns – “No Ordinary Love” on Substack and “It’s Funny We Met on Hinge” – use real couples to counter unrealistic cultural narratives and reinforce Hinge’s promise of being “Designed to Be Deleted.” The strategy is working: in Q3 2025, Hinge’s revenue jumped 27% to $185M with 17% growth in paying users, cementing it as Match Group’s standout performer.

See full article at Fast Company

Hinge’s CMO Wants Gen Z to Rethink the Dating App Meet-cute

Posted on December 3, 2025
Hinge's CMO Jackie Jantos

FAST COMPANY – Hinge president and CMO Jackie Jantos is pushing Gen Z to rethink the “meet-cute” by highlighting real, imperfect love stories from couples who met on the app. Her campaigns “No Ordinary Love” and “It’s Funny We Met on Hinge”, focus on moving connections offline and reinforce Hinge’s “Designed to Be Deleted” positioning. The strategy is working: Hinge’s Q3 2025 revenue rose 27% to $185M, with paying users up 17%, making it Match Group’s strongest-performing brand.

See full article at Fast Company

The Most Popular Dating Apps in the U.S.

Posted on December 1, 2025

STATISTA – Bumble and Tinder are the most popular dating apps in the U.S., according to Statista Consumer Insights. 35% of U.S. dating app users said they had used Bumble in the past 12 months, compared to 37% for Tinder. In the following ranks were Badoo, Plenty of Fish and Hinge. 

See full article at Statista

Bar chart displaying the popularity of dating apps in the U.S., highlighting Tinder (37%) and Bumble (35%) as the most used, followed by Badoo, Plenty of Fish, Hinge, eharmony, BlackPeopleMeet, and Match.

Hinge’s New D.A.T.E. Report: How Gen Z Can Close the Communication Gap in 2026

Posted on November 24, 2025
Hinge D.A.T.E. report

HINGE – Hinge’s 2025 Gen Z D.A.T.E. Report shows that young daters want deeper connection but struggle to start meaningful conversations. The study, based on ~30K surveyed users, highlights a clear communication gap driven by hesitation and mixed gender expectations. Gen Z often feels they ask enough questions on dates, but many feel their dates don’t ask enough in return. Vulnerability is another barrier, with many feeling exposed after opening up even though most people are comfortable hearing others share. Looking ahead to 2026, Gen Z plans to close this gap by asking better questions, using tools like Voice Notes, going on sober dates, and trying AI as a light support tool rather than a replacement for real conversation.

See full article at Hinge website