YOUGOV – A YouGov survey of 1,882 Britons found that two-thirds are currently in a relationship, with 90% of those describing themselves as happy. Work and mutual friends remain the most common ways couples meet, while dating apps account for one in nine relationships overall. Most single Britons are happy being unattached, although 25% want a relationship now; 42% say they remain single because they have not met the right person, while 29% find dating stressful or difficult.
WIRED – Bumble has ended its women-first rule, allowing men to initiate conversations. Bumble said 66% of surveyed women preferred men to message first and that testing increased chat initiation. However, some users fear the change will bring more unwanted messages and turn Bumble into another version of Tinder. The decision suggests that Bumble’s original women-first identity had become a commercial disadvantage as the company struggles to remain competitive and profitable.
PSYPOST – A 2026 study of 301 dating app users aged 18 to 86 found that older adults were more likely to use the apps for socializing, while younger users were more motivated by sexual experiences, finding relationships, and gaining social approval. Dating app use among older Americans is also relatively common: Pew Research found that 23% of people in their 50s have tried online dating, compared with 14% of those in their 60s and 12% of those aged 70 or older.
TECH.EU – Taimi and Hily are profitable, self-funded dating apps built primarily for Gen Z. Taimi focuses on the LGBTQ+ market and has ~350K daily active users. Its goal is 2M daily users as it works toward becoming IPO-ready. Both apps were launched in 2017 without external investment. Taimi has ~100 employees and is focused heavily on the US market. The company says its numbers do not support claims that Gen Z is moving away from dating apps. Its research also found that 57% of LGBTQ+ adults say dating apps reduce the burden of repeatedly coming out.
LINKEDIN – Tinder has launched Double Date Island, its first TikTok reality series, in partnership with TikTok and ITV Studios. The show is based on Tinder’s Double Date feature, which allows friends to match as pairs. It features 32 best-friend pairs from eight countries competing in a villa in Portugal. Their double dates are rated, with one pair from each country advancing to the Global Final. New episodes will be released daily on TikTok.
WIRED – Hot or Not was one of the first platforms to turn subjective human attraction into structured data that could be ranked and used to influence behaviour. Its 2001 “Meet Me” feature also introduced mutual opt-in matching before Tinder existed. Its influence extended beyond dating: YouTube’s founders described an early version of YouTube as essentially “Hot or Not for video,” while Facebook’s FaceMash used a similar comparison concept. The irony is that dating companies are now trying to move away from the rating culture that Hot or Not helped normalize 26 years ago.
FAST COMPANY – Gen Z is increasingly using hobbies and social events as a way to meet potential partners in person. Eventbrite found strong growth in singles-focused activities, from trivia nights, up 403%, to mahjong, birdwatching and Pilates socials. Plant swaps and terrarium workshops were also up 117%, while birdwatching attendance rose 82%. The trend comes as more young people meet partners offline, with a 2025 Hims study finding that 77% of Gen Z had met their partner in person. Run clubs, grocery stores, and other everyday social settings are also being used as opportunities to meet potential dates.
THE GUARDIAN – Romantic kissing is on the decline, particularly among younger adults. A YouGov survey found that more than a third of British adults are kissing romantically less often than five years ago. One in five hasn’t been kissed in more than a year, and 27% believe kissing is becoming less common. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, a third said they had avoided a kiss because they lacked confidence. Researchers point to digital communication, declining nightlife and shared social spaces, and growing self-consciousness around intimacy as possible factors behind the trend.
OPW – If you’re interested in selling your dating company, this is an LTR you won’t want to miss. Join us tomorrow (Wednesday, August 19 at 12 PM New York time) for the 53rd edition of LTR, the online conference for leaders of dating and social businesses.
Bill Shafton, former Head of Legal at Grindr for nine years, will discuss how dating companies can prepare for M&A and what leaders should consider before entering the process.
And if payment processing is a priority for your business, payments expert Paul Larsen will cover the latest trends, challenges and solutions in payment processing.
Two highly practical sessions. RSVP here. See you tomorrow at LTR 53.
This LTR is kindly sponsored by HubPeople.ai, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks.
NEW YORK POST – Platforms that connect people seeking to have and raise children together without a romantic relationship are reporting user growth. Modamily grew from 100K users in January to ~150K by August, while CoParents.com reported a 25% increase this year to 160K members worldwide. Users cite biological timelines, career demands, financial considerations, and negative experiences with divorce as reasons for choosing platonic co-parenting. Modamily founder Ivan Fatovic said the concept has become more widely accepted since he launched the platform 15 years ago.