It’s Not About More Matches — It’s About Compatible Ones: What Gen Z Wants From Dating Apps

When I joined Match Group as CEO earlier this year, I made it clear that one of my top priorities would be reimagining Tinder for the next generation of daters. Gen Z is reshaping cultural norms around relationships, identity, and connection. And it’s on us to evolve alongside them.

So, I sat down with a group of Gen Z users for a candid focus group to better understand how they feel about connections today and where dating apps fit (or don’t fit) into that experience.

Here’s the good news: Gen Z wants to connect. They believe in romance. They’re open to serendipity. They’re hopeful. But they’re also clear: the products — and often the people — aren’t meeting their expectations. That’s the gap we’re focused on closing.

Dating apps feel overwhelming.

Many in the group described dating apps as “noisy” and “exhausting,” full of stalled conversations and mismatched intentions. One user called it a “war zone” of endless swiping and pressure to decode signals from strangers. Another described the experience as “collecting free Instagram followers.”

They don’t want more matches, they want better ones. More meaningful. More tailored. More real. That line stuck with me, and it has shaped the internal product mandate we’re now rallying around at Tinder. We’re rolling out features that reflect our renewed commitment to user outcomes and emotional connection. Because if we’re going to earn the trust of a new generation of daters, we need to build products that actually work for them.

Gen Z is ready for something new and we’re building toward it.

This generation is more interested in connection, however that looks: friendship, community, or romance. They want low-pressure, IRL opportunities to meet people in authentic ways, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to deliver with new features like Tinder’s Double Date, which rolled out globally this summer.

No one wants to date a chatbot, but some participants described AI as a “support system” that can help enhance the dating experience, not replace it. For example, asking an AI how to respond to a flirty text, or suggesting respectful ways to open a conversation. Smart, responsible AI can help improve the journey. But the goal is always a real connection, not a chatbot relationship.

We have to build for outcomes, not just output.

Too many apps optimize for time spent or clicks. We’re shifting the focus to outcomes: real-life connections, safe and respectful interactions, and tools that support the journey beyond the match.

We’re also rethinking how we build. At Tinder, we’re moving to small, nimble pods that can iterate faster, take smart risks, and stay closer to the user. Innovation doesn’t need to be bloated. It needs to be bold and deeply aligned with user needs.

Empathy is the most important product feature.

Gen Z isn’t cynical, they’re clear-eyed. They know what they want: tools that help them connect with purpose. 

And while Gen Z may be disillusioned with some aspects of online dating, they’re not giving up on connection. They’re just demanding better: more authenticity, more relevance, and more alignment with how they actually navigate relationships.

At Match Group, we’re designing with a simple principle in mind: when the product gets better, people’s lives get better, and so does our business. Gen Z isn’t looking for a one-size-fits-all experience. They want options, flexibility, and tools that meet them where they are.

We’re listening. We’re building. And we’re just getting started.