FAST COMPANY – Madonna is promoting her new album Confessions II by partnering with Grindr, placing her profile directly in users’ grids. Tapping it reveals a voice message, exclusive content, and a limited-edition vinyl preorder. The campaign, Grindr’s largest so far, will roll out more content over time and targets its highly engaged LGBTQ audience.
FAST COMPANY – Playtomic started as a simple tool to book courts and find people to play with, but it has evolved into a social platform. It matches strangers into games based on skill level, and those interactions often continue off the court. People end up building friendships and, in some cases, relationships.
FAST COMPANY – Known is a dating app that replaces swiping with an AI-led interview process. Users speak with an AI that assesses interests, values, and context, then receive one curated match at a time rather than multiple options. The app handles introductions and date logistics, aiming to prioritise compatibility and real-world dates over prolonged in-app engagement.
FAST COMPANY – Hinge is growing while most major dating apps are shrinking. In 2025, Hinge reached ~15M monthly active users, 1.87M paying users (+17% YoY), generated $550M in 2024 revenue, and ~$500M in the first nine months of 2025. Hinge’s CEO Justin McLeod attributes its performance to a focus on outcomes, not engagement. The app is designed to help users meet in real life and delete the app, even if that means adding friction. Users must upload multiple photos, answer prompts, and engage more deeply, which Hinge says increases the likelihood of going on dates. Features like “Your Turn Limits” reduce ghosting, and AI nudges users toward setting up real-world dates.
FAST COMPANY – A new Tawkify survey of ~1K U.S. adults shows daters in 2025 are far more flexible about unemployment: only 29% see joblessness as a red flag, and just 42% consider living with parents a deal-breaker. Most employed singles (75%) are open to dating someone unemployed if they have a side hustle or personal project. But unemployment still reshapes dating behavior: only one in three jobless singles actively look for a partner, many stop dating or switch to cheaper dates, and 65% cite financial strain as the biggest barrier. Confidence also drops, with 62% feeling less desirable and 52% anxious about disclosing unemployment.
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.
FAST COMPANY – AppsFlyer reports that 69% of dating apps downloaded in 2025 were deleted within a month, up from 65% in 2024. Pew Research finds that 53% of adults under 30 have used a dating site or app, making them the age group most engaged with online dating. Hinge continues to outperform its competitors, with Gen Z making up 56% of its users and paying subscribers rising by 17%. Tinder’s new features are gaining traction with younger users, with Double Date used mainly by people under 30 and College Mode active among one in four eligible students. Kinsey Institute data shows that Gen Z prefers to meet people offline, and Bloomberg reports that they are uncomfortable with AI-generated bios or messages, although they accept AI tools that quietly support safety, photo selection, and profile quality.
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FAST COMPANY – AI is increasingly shaping modern dating, with a Hily app survey showing 82% of Gen Z and 87% of millennials already use AI to help with bios or conversations and up to 95% plan to continue. Yet most say they’d be turned off if their match did the same, seeing it as lazy or inauthentic. The trend, dubbed “chatfishing,” reflects burnout from swiping and ghosting, as daters outsource messages to tools like ChatGPT. However, this often backfires: over half of users feel less confident meeting in person after relying on AI. Experts warn that while AI can boost confidence online, it risks erasing the quirks and personality traits that make people truly attractive.
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FAST COMPANY – Grindr’s largest shareholders, Raymond Zage and James Lu, are exploring a plan to take the company private again, just four years after it went public through a SPAC merger in 2021. The move follows a recent stock drop that led a lender to seize shares tied to a personal loan. Reports say Zage and Lu are in talks with Fortress Investment Group to finance a buyout at about $15 per share, compared to Grindr’s $12.72 closing price on October 15. The two control over 60% of Grindr’s stock, prompting the board to form an independent committee to review any offer. Grindr’s shares had peaked at $24.73 in June 2025 but have since fallen, partly after a Ningi Research report accused the company of inflating user numbers. Grindr denied comment on both the buyout and the allegations. Despite the volatility, the company’s Q2 revenue rose 27% YOY, and CEO George Arison has announced plans to expand AI-driven features and telehealth services such as Woodwork, its ED medication platform.
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FAST COMPANY – Elite matchmaking firm Three Day Rule (where services can cost up to $100K) is launching Tai, an AI-powered matchmaking app. Unlike dating apps that leave users swiping, Tai aims to replicate the work of human matchmakers by using 15 years of client data, post-date feedback, and AI models to recommend partners and provide coaching. The app offers a free tier (limited chats with Tai and matches) and a $99/month premium plan with guaranteed introductions. CEO Adam Cohen-Aslatei argues matchmaking succeeds 70–80% of the time versus 9–11% for dating apps, and the AI app is meant to make the model more affordable and accessible.
See full article at Fast Company