“It seems to have emerged as a reaction to something that I hate, the gamification of dating,” Hoffman says. Yet, she adds, the trend “potentially sets you up for disappointment down the road, if you have no framework, no guidelines, no standards for how you want something to unfold romantically.” Wildflowering flies contrary to a lot of people’s personal philosophies when it comes to dating.

Still, it would be wise for relationship educators, as they build learning opportunities for healthy dating, not to present dating in maritally neutral terms. The institution of marriage needs a robust dating system to bring couples to the altar. And recall our findings that, regardless of age, nearly half of young adults say they would like to be married now. Accordingly, one straightforward implication of the findings from our study is that young adults could use some basic help in building dating skills. These more traditional purposes for dating are aimed at building committed romantic relationships and learning how to facilitate personal growth in those relationships. While dating frequency may be low, most young adults seem to yearn for the connection of serious dating and marriage relationships.

Findings: Marital Expectations And Salience

Another major dating trend in 2026 is a move toward intentional dating. Rather than juggling dozens of conversations on apps, singles are becoming clearer about what they want and focusing their energy on meaningful connections. One of the biggest shifts in recent years has been the return to in-person dating. After years of relying heavily on apps, many singles are now looking for opportunities to meet people naturally and see if there’s real chemistry straight away. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Dating app Plenty of Fish has officially dropped its hotly anticipated ninth annual list of dating trends for 2026, revealing what’s next in the world of dating and connection.

Trend 8: Age-gap Compatibility Beats Birth Year

• And there is an important practical matter too – the cost of dating was also a big barrier (reported by both women and men).
• One of the biggest shifts in recent years has been the return to in-person dating.
• Looking for cheaper alternatives to pricey dating app subscriptions?
• The Year-in-Swipe report found that 64 percent of daters think the dating landscape is in desperate need of more emotional honesty, and 60 percent are craving clearer communication when it comes to intentions.

For second-chapter daters, high-touch guidance isn’t an indulgence—it’s an active, powerful choice. When Maria Shriver and I discussed women dating significantly younger men on the TODAY Show, the reaction wasn’t novel—it included genuine curiosity. When people stop analyzing profiles like résumés, genuine chemistry becomes much easier to notice. More singles are now taking short dating detoxes to preserve their emotional energy.

I think an easy, honest, and fun year in dating is something we’d all like to see. So to help manifest ease, honesty, and fun in your own love life next year, here’s more info on Tinder’s top dating trend predictions for 2026. Additionally, a consistent set of values has emerged as markers of romantic desirability in various studies. BMO’s research outlined that the top three attractive financial traits reported for partners are financial responsibility, having a good plan, and a willingness to talk openly about money. Authenticity and communication are what modern daters are seeking.

There is a marital-expectations vs. dating-skills gap for most young adults today. How can we grow our way out of this dating recession if we want to increase the chances that young adults will form serious relationships that may lead to healthy marriages? We need a concerted effort to teach young adults healthy dating skills, something that receives little attention from the general culture or even the relationship education field. Young adults reported significant financial and social/emotional barriers to dating.

Self‑aware singles are in high demand – and they’re no longer settling for chaos disguised as chemistry. Dating in your 40s, 50s, and 60s+ is smarter, bolder, more joyful – and yes, sometimes hilariously unpredictable. As we head into 2026, there are exciting (and encouraging) trends worth paying attention to.

Americans lost $1.16 billion to romance scams in just nine months of 2025 — and 46% of US adults view dating apps as unsafe. Check out the complete guide to activity-based dating, or browse what outdoor activities are happening near you on GRASS this weekend. AI’s impact on dating in 2026 goes far beyond photo filters. Cybersecurity firm Sensity AI has documented an explosive increase in deepfake images on dating platforms over the past two years. AI chatbots can now sustain convincing conversations for weeks, mimicking genuine emotional connection until the scam is revealed. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported that romance scam losses in the U.S. exceeded $1 billion in recent years—and AI is making these scams significantly harder to detect.

With an estimated 90-plus million registered La Date Assessment: Real User Feedback & Expert Opinion accounts and roughly 4 million monthly actives, the pool is large but mixed in intent, spanning casual and serious daters alike. POF recently restructured its paid plans into POF Plus, POF Premium, and POF Prestige tiers. Hily (short for “Hey, I Like You”) uses AI to learn your preferences and improve matches over time. Its standout feature is the compatibility quiz that scores potential matches before you even see their profile.

Love & Relationships

Here are the five dating trends to expect in the coming months. Dating app Plenty of Fish did the research into the dating trends on the horizon, and although saying “yes” to a new face is always a gamble, at least Banksying didn’t make the cut. High achievers are now treating their love lives like an investment. Just as they already have personal trainers, tennis or pickleball coaches and financial advisors, working with a dating coach or matchmaker feels like a natural extension of that ecosystem. Professional and lay relationship educators need to pay more attention to this educational void for young adults. Here are several concrete recommendations for effective dating skills education.

Additionally, conflicting schedules can create a disconnect in even the best relationships. As 2026 approaches, however, it seems things might actually be looking up. The goal is to move back toward depth over volume, getting to know someone across a longer arc of time.

Gen Z prioritizes value alignment over surface-level compatibility. Shared political views, environmental values, family goals, and life philosophy matter more than shared hobbies or aesthetics. I’ve never used AI to help with dating as I don’t use dating websites. In 2026, the real flex is authenticity – even if there’s a typo. Here’s the irony – those kids grew up during the Online Dating Revolution. Moving easily from one app to another is second nature to them.