Dating in the Digital Age: Who’s Using Apps and Do They Work?

As online dating becomes an increasingly normal part of modern life, our new polling reveals how Americans are engaging with dating apps and what they really think about the experience. From safety concerns to generational divides, the data paints a detailed picture of love in the age of swiping.

Who’s Using Dating Apps?

The data shows that just 18% of respondents have used a dating app or online dating service in the past 12 months compared to a staggering 78% who haven’t. But this headline number masks stark demographic differences. Usage is significantly higher among men (23%) than women (13%) and highest among 25–34-year-olds, 37% of whom report using dating apps. Among 18–24-year-olds, that figure stands at 25%. Usage falls off quickly with age: just 8% of those aged 55–64 and 5% of those 65 and over report using dating apps this year. The combination of being married and unfamiliar with dating technology most likely has an influence here.

Partisan identity also plays a role. 20% of Trump supporters and 17% of Harris supporters say they’ve used dating apps recently..

How Often Are People Using Them?

Among those who do use dating apps, usage patterns vary. Around 7% of all U.S. adults say they use them daily, rising to 17% among 25–34-year-olds. Weekly users account for 9% overall, while 7% use them less than monthly.

Again, men are more likely to be frequent users. Daily usage among men stands at 11%, compared to just 3% for women. Women are also more likely to have never used dating apps at all (77% vs. 61% of men).

Is It Safe? Opinions Are Split

Among app users, feelings about safety are mixed. 36% say they feel “very safe” using dating platforms, while another 37% say they feel “somewhat safe”. Notably, only 21% of women say they feel “very safe”, compared to 44% of men.

Younger users are more trusting of the platforms: 42% of 25–34-year-olds say they feel “very safe”, compared to just 15% of 55–64-year-olds. These perceptions mirror broader digital trust divides between the generations.

Are Dating Apps Helping or Hurting?

Despite widespread use, a significant share of the public believes dating apps are making it harder, not easier, to find a compatible partner. 32% of men agree that dating apps complicate meaningful connection, with 15% saying they “strongly agree” and 17% saying they “somewhat agree”. Only 18% disagree and 26% say they’re not sure.

This scepticism is particularly common among Trump supporters (with 33% in agreement) and younger voters aged 18–34.

Dating apps are now a common part of the American dating landscape but they’re far from universally embraced. They are used more by younger men than any other group and while many users log in daily or weekly, most still express concerns about safety, compatibility and emotional outcomes.

Download the data tables for this poll.