What is Dating Sunday? The busiest time of year on dating apps explained

We're a few days into the New Year and there is a countdown toDating Sunday (January 5th), known for being the busiest dayofthe year for dating apps.

Perhaps the New Year means a fresh start for singles who want to make dating one of their resolutions for 2025, so redownload the dating apps just in time for Dating Sunday.

Nowadays there are an array of dating apps out there for people to connect on - so what are each of them saying about this active time of the year?

Bumble

In January 2023, Bumble matches increased by 40 per cent from Christmas Eve to Dating Sunday.

Now, to get ahead in 2025, Bumble has come up with the ultimate dating cheat sheet called "Date-Trix" to ensure your profile is revamped and ready for this Sunday.

Wondering what's bold and what's chilled? Bumble has broken this down in a new graphic - for example, fish pics are out and unique interests are in.

Bumble

Dr Caroline West, Bumble’s Sex & Relationship Expert described Dating Sunday as "an opportunity to embrace your authentic self and reset your approach to love".

Dr West said: "As we look to 2025, Bumble’s research shows that people are Future-Proofing their relationships, prioritising stability, emotional consistency and honesty in their relationships, with nearly two in three women valuing clear goals and focus on genuine connections."

She added: "My ultimate advice is to forget the pressure to impress or be someone you’re not. Let your profile show who you truly are and what matters most to you. By showing up as yourself, you’re not just attracting matches - you’re setting the tone for meaningful connections in the year ahead.”

Tinder

Tinder reports from last year's Dating Sunday, 20 per cent more messages are sent when compared to the daily average over a year.

In addition, Tinder users are 12 per cent more likely to initiate a conversation on this day too whileusers on average experience over 10 per cent more matches – with over 356 matches per second – than the rest of the year.

That's a lot of matches!

Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As well as more matches, people are replying quicker too as users replied to messages 2 hours 16 minutes quicker than on last year’s Dating Sunday in 2023.

It's not just Dating Sunday as Tinder has described the "Peak Dating Season" to be from January 1st up to Valentine's Day on February 14th.

So what dating trends can we expect from Tinder this year?

According to the app's Year in Swipe™ report, 2025 is all about embracing clarity, connection, and spontaneity with trends such as Loud Looking which "empowers singles to confidently state their desires", Kiss-met "celebrates those magical, spontaneous moments", and Nano-ships highlight the "significance of even the smallest romantic connections".

Hinge

This Dating Sunday, Hinge wants its users to embrace “Dating Forward” — focusing on intentional and thoughtful actions that create the love life you want.

Reflecting on your 2025 goals along with making intentional changes to how you approach dating.

Hinge’s Director of Relationship Science, Logan Ury, has shared some advice on how to set yourself up for success, this includes refreshing your profile, looking for reasons to say “yes," commenting on a profile you’re interested in, starting the conversation right away, sending a voice note, and making the most of Dating Hour.

iStockphoto by Getty Images

“As we move into the first days of the new year, many people find themselves reflecting on the past year and visioning for the year ahead," Moe Ari Brown, LMFT, Hinge's Love and Connection Expert said.

"The new year marks a shift from one chapter to the next and offers us the opportunity for a reboot. For daters looking for connection, the New Year energy also brings hope, promise for renewal and fresh starts to their dating lives.”

Elsewhere, 4 ways to avoid dating app scams, according to Bumble's expert.

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