Global usage of dating apps surge; Tinder, Bumble downloads grow

In India, more than 80% mothers are now comfortable with their children finding a partner on a dating app, said a study by TrulyMadly, an Indian dating app.

Dating apps like TrulyMadly have gained a lot of traction from users in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities in India | Photo Credit: TrulyMadly

Global usage of top dating apps surged in January this year, report said.

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Usage of Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge collectively grew 17% in January 2022 when compared with the same month in 2019, according to research firm, Sensor Tower.

The firm estimated that first-time installs of these top three dating apps collectively reached 106.4 million in 2021 from 91 million installs in 2019. Tinder remained the market leader.

Over 9 billion messages were exchanged on dating app Bumble’s platform globally in 2021, rising 40% from 2020, according to a release by the app, seen by The Hindu.

The pandemic further amplified the trend of online dating as more millennials & Gen-Zs shunned their inhibitions and joined the online dating world to evade pandemic induced isolations, Snehil Khanor, co-founder & CEO of TrulyMadly, an Indian dating app said to The Hindu.

Dating app Bumble has added a COVID Preferences Center to help normalise and better facilitate conversations about dating during the pandemic. The feature allows users to see what the other person’s dating preferences are - virtual only, or meeting outdoors and in uncrowded places, and what precautions they want to take.

Virtual dating is becoming a norm with users who want to connect on video calls for a pre-date before they actually meet in person, said Snehil.

In India, more than 80% mothers are now comfortable with their children finding a partner on a dating app, according to a study by TrulyMadly.

Building safe, trustworthy, and engaging dating platforms have led to this transformation among parents and their increasing support to the younger generation, Snehil said to The Hindu.

Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jaipur, Nagpur, and Pune emerged as the top cities in India where parents support the usage of these apps, the study highlighted.

Dating apps also gained a lot of traction from users in Tier 2 & 3 cities as COVID-19 induced lockdown, restricted movements, limited social contact, and reverse migration created a void and a sense of isolation, Snehil said.