From male-casting to future-proofing: Bumble reveals its 2025 dating trend predictions

With 2024 coming to an end, we look ahead to next year as dating app Bumble has shared its latest dating trend predictions for 2025.

Research from more than 40,000 Gen Z and millennial Bumble members around the world has revealed that dating is evolving with people feeling positive about the realities of finding the right relationship.

One thing's for sure, dating isn't going anywhere but how we approach relationships is changing.

Singletons are more determined to find the one, with nearly 3 in 4 (72 per cent ) globally - and in the UK - looking to find a long-term partner in the next year.

Though there's a difference in women's tolerance levels as 2 in 3 British women (66 per cent) saying they are being more honest with themselves and no longer making compromises.

It comes after this year's dating trends included rejecting the constant strive for perfection, discarding outdated timelines, and placing more value on emotional vulnerability and shared values.

Bumble

Selby Drummond, Bumble’s Chief Marketing Officer said: "2025 is going to be a transitional year for dating and we can see this in how single people, especially women, are getting very clear about what they want and need, and what they are no longer willing to tolerate when it comes to dating and relationships.

“What we’re seeing is a big shift towards real-ness, people are being increasingly more transparent,future-proofing themselves, and taking the time to find somebody to support their unique interests, committing to a relationship.

She added: "Regardless of whether they are looking for something casual, something serious, or something in between, these trends reflect what we’ve heard from our community, which is that they are looking for engaging conversations that lead to authentic real-life connections.”

So what can we expect for 2025? Here is a breakdown of all Bumble’s dating hot-takes for next year:

Micro-mance

Rather than pulling off grand gestures in the pursuit of romance, smaller gestures are receiving the love and people are embracing this through micro-mance - a term to describe expressing your feelings through smaller gestures, with big impact.

The majority (86 per cent) of singles agree that how we show love and affection now includes behaviours like sending memes, a playlist, or sharing inside jokes or morning coffee walks. On Bumble, ‘The quickest way to my heart is’ is one of the top prompts globally, highlighting micro-mance is already alive and well on the app.

DWM (Date With Me)

Single people are documenting their dating journey online and it's our new favourite reality show, there's everything from dating GRWM’s, live-streamed break-ups, post-date debriefs, hard launches, relationship“tests,” and Dating Wrapped to keep us entertained.

And this is set to continue in 2025, as embracing realness and transparency will become even more trendy - especially since 2 in 5 (41 per cent) of singles are celebrating more authentic dating and relationship content showing not only the highs but also the lows, serving as a ‘window’ to the broader dating experience.

Seeing others openly discuss these experiences is inspiring healthier relationship goals, helping people spot potential red flags, and have big conversations earlier - and the stats back this up with almost 2 in 5 singles (39 per cent) in the UK state that realistic, positive dating content leads to optimism about their own love lives.

Bumble

On The Same (Fan) Page

Whether it's a book club, running club or you're a Swiftie or a brat (shout out Taylor and Charli) or you have a niche hobby, these various micro-communities are on the rise.

This is reflected in dating too, with nearly 2 in 3 (60 per cent) of UK singles stating that unique and quirky interests are now key to attraction.

Additionally, 1 in 2 women globally (50 per cent) say showing up authentically while dating means leaning into their passions and interests.

Having a niche interest can identify partners, start conversations, and build compatibility and can be a connection - so much so that almost three in five (59 per cent) British Gen Z singles agree that geeking out on something together is a form of intimacy.

To reflect the growing enthusiasm for hobbies and interests, Bumble recently launched more than 30 new Interest Badges such as trivia, thrifting, cold plunging, crocheting, and house plants/

Male-Casting

If you're been online this year, you've no doubt heard the terms "baby girl," "hot rodent men", "men in finance" along with the return of the hunk, male archetypes which have exploded in pop culture with a wider conversation on how we identify ideal (or less ideal) characteristics.

It feels like there have been more conversations on male stereotypes, and over 1 in 3 (36 per cent) singles in the UK agree. But are these helpful or a hindrance in dating?

Men seem to think so as 1 in 4 (29 per cent) say these tropes can create false assumptions about their character and intentions.

Looking ahead, over half of women (53 per cent) agree that the conversation on masculinity needs to evolve to allow men to define what positive masculinity looks like individually.

Future-Proofing

Given how uncertain our world is, most singles (95 per cent) worry about their future, to the point where it's negatively impacting their dating life.

Between finances, job security, housing, or climate change, we all have a lot on our plate, and therefore most women (59 per cent) and seeking stability, in other words, a partner who is emotionally consistent, reliable, and has clear goals when it comes to their life.

Looking ahead, singles can expect these conversations to be more top of mind from the get-go, with 1 in 4 (27 per cent) women in the UK are pushing these topics to be discussed earlier than before, leading to candid conversations about budgeting, housing, climate change, and job ambitions.

Bumble

Guys That Get It

Although the girl group chat is where you can send all the pre and post-date gossip, 2025 predicts the rise of the guy best friend.

Nearly a third (31 per cent) of single women say they are more open with their male friends than they used to be about their dating lives, indicating a shift towards men engaging with their friends in a healthy way and becoming a more significant part of their support network.

In fact, 1 in 5 (22 per cent) women now ask male friends to filter potential dates, and the majority of women (54 per cent) rely on the men in their lives to help give an explanation for men’s dating behaviour.

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