The 3 Biggest Dating Trends To Look Out for in 2025

As 2024 draws to a close, dating app Tinder has released its Year in Swipe™ 2024 report, analyzing global data from bios, surveys and user behaviors of singletons. The result? Insight into how daters approached relationships this year and what may be to come in the dating world for the year ahead.

While they may not have found “the one” yet, singles shared candid details about their dating lives, revealing trends that reflect a move toward intentionality and authenticity.

Based on data collected from January to October 2024 and surveys of over 12,000 singles aged 18–34 across the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, Tinder found that three key trends are set to dominate the dating landscape for 2025.

1. Loud Looking

Forget ambiguity, singles are ready to leave subtlety behind with a shift toward clearly stating intentions on dating profiles from the start.

Phrases like “Looking for…” were the most popular in 2024, and over half of respondents reported setting boundaries up front. As a result, “situationships”—sticking to the stage of dating between being committed to someone and staying casual—are falling out of favor and being replaced by more intentional connections where trust and transparency are key.

This trend has even inspired digital tools like Tinder’s Year in Swipe™ Vision Board, which allows users to visualize and manifest their dating goals for the coming year. Nearly 20 percent of surveyed singles said they use vision boards to focus on trust, physical attraction and shared values when it comes to finding the perfect match.

2. It’s Kiss-met

Play off the term “kismet,” which describes when something is meant to be, daters are more interested than ever in building real and spontaneous connections.

Daters are moving away from strict rules about what makes an impressive or traditional date, instead embracing more “unscripted” moments, like as pottery classes, vintage shopping trips or outdoor hikes.

Nearly 40 percent of the singletons surveyed plan to prioritize such authentic experiences with potential partners in 2025. This shift signals a rejection of overly curated, picture-perfect dates in favor of moments that feel genuine and surprising—an antidote to the performative culture often associated with dating apps.

3. Forget Relationship, It’s Time for the Nano-Ship

Small interactions are taking center stage as singles find joy in “micro-connections.”

Whether it’s an “eyecontactship” with a stranger on the subway or a “textuationship” with someone who sends morning greetings, daters are reclaiming the meaning in every little spark. These connections might not lead to walking down the aisle, but they’re seen as meaningful stops on the path to finding lasting love.

In 2025, this appreciation for micro-moments is expected to grow, with nearly a quarter of singles surveyed saying they find joy in fleeting interactions.