Dating Forward: Hinge Reveals the Quality-First Approach to Finding Love in 2025
At the end of every year, we look back at the music that defined our moods, the memes that made us laugh, and the numbers that summed up our love lives. However, Hinge has revealed that the key to finding love in 2025 isn’t about collecting more matches or having multiple conversations at once. It’s about pausing, reflecting, and making intentional changes to how you approach dating.
This year, Hinge is inviting daters to take a fresh perspective with an approach called “Dating Forward.”
What is “Dating Forward”?
Dating Forward is about intentional dating — breaking bad habits that no longer serve you and focusing on making intentional and thoughtful actions that create the love life you want.
It isn’t about compiling numbers, reinventing yourself, or following a rigid set of rules. It’s about prioritizing what matters — learning from the past, being present in the moment, and setting yourself up for success in the future.
Why does it matter?
Research at Hinge shows that regularly checking in on your dating practices can transform your outlook and lead to a healthier dating mindset.
- 58% of Hinge daters who assess their dating habits report feeling optimistic and confident about their future relationships
- 68% of Hinge daters believe that setting goals can lead to a more fulfilling dating experience
Licensed therapist and Hinge’s Love and Connection Expert, Moe Ari Brown, shared, “Looking back is natural, but it’s important to recognize when it’s keeping us from moving forward. By shifting our mindset from survival to thriving, we open ourselves to the possibilities of new connections, armed with the lessons we’ve learned, the courage to take risks, and the tools to navigate the journey with confidence and emotional stability. Thriving in dating is about embracing growth and stepping boldly into the future.”
Dating Forward: Focusing on making intentional and thoughtful actions that create the love life you want
How do you embrace “Dating Forward”?
To help daters move toward more meaningful relationships in 2025, Hinge’s Director of Relationship Science, Logan Ury, recommends making one major shift: focus on quality over quantity.
“The key to focus is clarity—knowing what you want and why you want it. Once your goals are clear, distractions lose their power,” shared Logan. “For example, if you’re seeking a long-term relationship, it’s time to end the situationship with a person who’s fun but not ready for commitment. Remember, saying no to others often means saying yes to yourself.”
With 47% of Hinge daters sharing that going on more dates is their top dating goal for 2025, Hinge has released a helpful checklist and actionable tips to help them focus.
Look forward, not backwards.
73% of Hinge daters told us they get bogged down in overthinking previous dating experiences. Instead, focus on how you want to show up differently in the future.
Set dating goals.
- 42% of Hinge daters admit they need to set clearer intentions for what they want in dating, including what they’re looking for and the steps they’re going to take to get there.
Focus on quality over quantity with your matches.
- Slow down and evaluate each of your matches before exploring connections with new people. Your next great date could be right in front of you. Hinge is encouraging daters to focus with Your Turn Limits, a first-of-its-kind tool launched in 2024 to help daters prioritize their current matches and conversations. The feature requires users with too many pending replies to respond or end chats before connecting with new people.
Get to the date faster.
Daters told us that being clear about when they want to meet up would help them become better daters. Hinge’s research shows that three days of chatting is the sweet spot to ask someone out.
Plan date activities that will be fun regardless of the outcome.
- 31% of daters think that planning dates that focus on activities they enjoy would help them maintain focus. Each month, come up with different places or events you want to explore, and plan dates around those ideas.
Methodology:
Hinge’s one-of-a-kind internal team of PhD researchers and behavioral scientists, Hinge Labs, conducted surveys in November 2024 to more than 3,000 Hinge users in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Recognizing that dating is complex and personal, Hinge Labs uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to study successful daters and uses those insights to help build the most effective dating app for getting people into relationships.