Golden age: Seniors are just logging on to dating apps
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Dating app fatigue is driving younger users away, but one demographic is just discovering the swipe: seniors.
Why it matters: As more older Americans live longer and increasingly alone, they're looking for love the new-fashioned way.
- "Many older daters are approaching dating with a level of confidence and intentionality that younger users are still developing," Michael Kaye, director of communications at Match.com, tells Axios.
Zoom out: The biggest names in dating — Tinder, Hinge and Bumble — skew younger.
- Other apps, including Match and OurTime, "provide access and opportunity that may not exist organically in everyday life, especially after retirement, relocation, divorce or the loss of a partner," says Kaye.
- AARP calls Match the best site for "serious relationships" for seniors.
The intrigue: Shows like ABC's "The Golden Bachelor" and Netflix's "The Later Daters" have tapped into popular interest in seniors looking for love.
By the numbers: Most adults 65+ are not longtime dating app users, per a new UserTesting survey of 217 U.S. adults in this age group, provided to Axios.
- 60% started using dating apps within the past three years. 30% started within the past year.
- 72% say one of the hardest parts is figuring out which profiles are real.
Here's how to get started on the apps:
1. Build an honest profile with recent photos. Write a bio that highlights your interests, lifestyle and whether you're looking for a dinner companion, travel partner, long-term relationship or something else.
- Ask someone you trust to take a look and offer tips. Claude or ChatGPT can also be helpful editing tools.
2. Don't send money or share financial details. Use the app's messaging system before moving to personal email or phone calls. Meet in public places for first dates (coffee shops or daytime activities are ideal). Tell a friend or family member about your plans.
3. Avoid sharing too much personal information early (address, full name, financial details). Red flags include overly quick professions of love, requests for money or inconsistent stories.
Between the lines: "Start a real conversation and see how it feels before deciding whether someone is your 'type,'" says Penny Chen, co-founder of Yeet, a swipe-free dating app that uses AI to push matches toward actual dates.
Friction point: AI advancements are making it much easier for scammers to create fake profiles.
- Nearly 1 in 10 adults over 50 say they've had an online romantic connection that turned into a request for money or crypto, according to AARP data released in February.
What's next: Dating apps are fighting AI with AI.
- Match Group now requires new users to take a video selfie to confirm that they are real, which AI-powered facial verification should verify.
- Bumble uses AI to automatically flag and remove fake profiles.
The bottom line: Older daters may be late to the apps, but they're arriving at the exact moment dating platforms are being forced to solve their oldest problem: figuring out who's real.
