Tinder's biggest dating trends of 2024 and what lies ahead for 2025

As we're nearing the end of 2024, Tinder’s Year in Swipe is back as the popular dating app looks back at all of the biggest trends from this year and what dating will look like in 2025.

The main goal daters are taking into the year ahead is having unapologetic intentions as they search for connections that align with their values, feel authentic and bring a sense of realness amid the turbulence of the last 12 months or so.

Mood boards have been a key way for people to manifest their goals, in fact nearly 20 per cent of internationally surveyed singles reported they are creating vision boards to manifest their ideal relationships in 2025.

With this in mind, Tinder has introduced the Year In Swipe Vision Board, an interactive tool for creating personalised mood boards to recap their 2024 dating journey and set intentions for the year ahead.

Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

"Singles are embracing intentionality in their dating lives - being upfront about what they want and refusing to settle. This shift has driven three standout trends: Loud looking, kiss-met, and nano-ships,” explained Melissa Hobley, Tinder’s Chief Marketing Officer.

"These trends are all about empowering choice - whether it's confidently stating your needs while loud looking, savouring serendipitous moments through kiss-mets, or finding meaning in micro-connections with nano-ships.

"While last year was focused on 'dating for the plot' and casually exploring, this year, singles are stepping up, leading with purpose and making their dating journeys truly their own."

It was also a big year for TikTok trends, as data reveals the most discussed ones on the dating app were "Man in Finance," Age Gap, "Golden Retriever Boyfriend," BookTok and Brat Summer.

Here are some of the biggest dating trends from 2024 which give us insight into what is ahead for 2025:

Loud looking

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There are no silent signals here!

Especially since "Looking for..." was Tinder’s top bio mention in 2024, as singletons are being loud and clear with their intentions, needs and desires from the get-go.

There was an "Assumptions Epidemic," this year where date got their green and red flags all mixed up - 65 per cent of women thought men were mostly after casual flings but only 29 per cent of men actually said that was what they wanted, according to Tinder's Green Flags Study.

But looks like it's set to change next year, as nearly 20 per cent of surveyed singles reported they are planning to manifest love by making vision boards, with trust, physical attraction and shared values being the top must-haves in dating.

Kiss-met

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Kiss-met is a playful twist on "kismet", meaning destiny or fate - so it's all about being open to spontaneity and "meet cutes".

This year, dating was all about embracing the magic of the unplanned. Singles will move away from strict dating "rules" and dive into authentic, spontaneous connections.

What kind of impromptu "kiss-met"? Well, singles are all about going on sweaty hike dates - nearly 40 per cent of them are planning to prioritise this in 2025, followed by pottery classes that get messy (in the cutest way, with 34 per cent of singles planning on it) and vintage shopping trips that turn into fun little fashion shows.

Nano-ships

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Romantic connections can vary in time as singles are finding meaning in even the tiniest interactions - whether it's something serious or just for fun.

And this is set to continue into 2025 as singles enjoy the fun of these micro-connections while searching for their forever person.

With nearly a quarter of surveyed singles focused on finding positivity and joy in the world, they're bringing an optimistic outlook to dating and relationships appreciating the little sparks along the way.

For those looking further afield for connections, the most popular countries to passport to were the USA, Spain, Australia, France and Poland, and for UK cities it was Manchester that came out on top, with Birmingham in second, then Glasgow, Liverpool and Edinburgh.

While Tinder users love Irish accents the most, followed by Scottish, Essex, Yorkshire and Welsh.

Turning to friends for dating advice

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As the Spice Girls song goes "If you wanna be my lover, you've gotta get with my friends" and that's the mood singles brought this year and will continue to bring in 2025.

In 2024, almost 60 per cent of surveyed singles turned to friends for dating advice and nearly 20 per cent even asked a friend to pre-screen their date by checking out their social media profiles!

Half of daters say that they rely on their friends as they navigate dating next year.

Written in the stars (signs)

Another factor that also matters is cosmic alignment.

Nearly 40 per cent of singles say that "astrology love predictions" will likely shape their dating choices in 2025.

Tinder

That's good news for Virgos, Geminis, Leos, Scorpios and Sagittariuses, who received the most Likes on Tinder among star signs in 2024.

Top five most attractive star signs:

• To men: 1) Gemini, 2) Taurus, 3) Virgo, 4) Pisces, 5) Leo
• To women: 1) Virgo, 2) Leo, 3) Gemini, 4) Scorpio, 5) Taurus

Communication is key

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Singles are prioritising trustworthiness (40 per cent), physical attraction (35 per cent), shared values (31 per cent), emotional availability (30 per cent) and shared interests (28 per cent) - among surveyed participants - when dating this year.

Clear, honest communication is what singles are searching for so it should come as no surprise that nearly 45 per cent of singles are seeking a "Golden Retriever type" in 2025 (which just so happened to be a TikTok trend this year) - someone loyal, friendly, energetic and brimming with optimism!

But what are some dating deal breakers?

The biggest faux pas are bad hygiene (50 per cent), followed by rudeness (44 per cent) and too much talk about an ex (34 per cent).

Financial stability is valued (looking back at the "Man in Finance" trend this year), 22 per cent of singles also want a partner who knows when to log off and set work boundaries.

Elsewhere, Tinder research reveals young singles are socially progressive but romantically traditional.

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