Single 20-somethings need AI to make first move on dating apps - Hinge boss
Hinge says Gen Z daters want love but need AI help to start chats and present themselves confidently.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Hinge's boss says young single people are less confident offline, so the app's AI tools are meant to help them start conversations and express themselves. The company says that fits a broader shift in dating behavior, even as some experts warn of app burnout.
Hinge is like a coach for shy people on a playground. It gives hints for what to say so a person can start a conversation, instead of standing there not knowing how to begin.
Analysis
What Hinge is arguing
Hinge boss Jackie Jantos says single people in their 20s want relationships, but many lack the confidence to make the first move on dating apps. Her view is that AI can help users start conversations and improve profiles without replacing real interaction.
The business context
Hinge has kept growing in the UK even as the wider dating-app market appears to be shifting. The app had about 1.5 million adult users in the year to May 2025, up from 1.4 million a year earlier, according to Ipsos iris data. Over the same period, Tinder's audience fell from 1.9 million to 1.5 million.
Hinge, founded in 2012 and owned by Match Group, has long marketed itself as being “designed to be deleted.” Jantos rejects the idea that this is only a branding line, saying the aim is to help people find long-term relationships rather than keep them on the platform indefinitely.
Why the company thinks AI fits
The company offers AI tools that can review a profile and suggest ways to make it more engaging, plus prompts to help users start chatting with a match. Jantos says the tools are “not about writing words for you” but about helping people express themselves.
The pushback
Not everyone thinks dating apps are still the answer to modern dating. Dr Carolina Bandinelli of the University of Warwick says the pandemic changed Gen Z dating habits and that apps did not deliver on their promises. A matchmaking founder quoted in the piece also says many young adults are dealing with dating app burnout and now want fewer, better-quality connections.
Key points
- Hinge says Gen Z daters want love but often lack confidence to make the first move.
- The app's AI tools help users improve profiles and start conversations.
- Hinge says the tools are meant to support self-expression, not replace real dating.
- Ipsos iris data shows Hinge's UK audience rose to 1.5 million in the year to May 2025, while Tinder's fell to 1.5 million.
- Experts quoted in the article say dating apps face burnout and a shift back toward more organic meetings.
If Hinge's approach works, more users may feel confident enough to message matches and build real conversations. That could help the app keep growing while making its AI features feel useful rather than gimmicky.
If users feel the AI makes dating feel less genuine, the tools could add to the burnout already surrounding dating apps. The broader trend toward in-person meetings could also limit how far app-based dating can grow.
