Bumble reveals hot-takes for great dates

Bumble’s 2024 trends saw singles rejecting the constant strive for perfection, discarding outdated timelines, and placing more value on emotional vulnerability and shared values. 2025 is expected to be a transitional year, with women very clear about what they want and need, and what they are no longer willing to tolerate when it comes to dating and relationships.

Following a year of dating reassessment, learnings, and frustrations, our conversations about dating have gotten real. But single people haven’t given up on finding a relationship, they are more determined, with nearly 3 in 4 (72%) globally looking to find a long-term partner in the next year. However, the level of tolerance has shifted. Specifically amongst women in India, more than 2 in 3 (70%) say that they are being more honest with themselves and are no longer making compromises.

Over the last year, the majority (87%) of single Indians on Bumble experienced the many positives of dating in 2024: the excitement of meeting somebody new, building their confidence, and exploring new attributes in what they want. As we move into 2025, Bumble research shows singles are clear about their own desire for romance, total transparency, shared community values, and leaning into platonic male friendship at pivotal moments, to help navigate the next year in dating.

From embracing the cringe and PDA to rom-coms and a new adoration for meet-cutes, romance is making a comeback in 2025: over half (57%) of women in India are self-proclaimed romantics who LOVE love and for 1 in 3 (35%) women, a lack of romance has had a negative impact on their dating lives. The desire for romance is clear, but instead of grand gestures, people are embracing romance in a new way - through micro-mance - a term to describe expressing your feelings through smaller gestures, with big impact. In fact, the majority (92%) of single Indians 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.

From dating GRWM’s, live-streamed break-ups, post-date debriefs, hard launches, relationship “tests,” and Dating Wrapped, dating has become our new favourite reality show. Bumble predicts this growing social media bubble of embracing a new real-ness will be even more relevant in 2025: nearly half (48%) of Indian 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. This shift towards more transparent, shared dating experiences is having a positive impact with 1 in 4 (26%) women surveyed locally feeling less self-conscious and lonely as a result. Seeing others openly discuss these experiences is inspiring healthier relationship goals, helping people spot potential red flags, and have big conversations earlier. In fact, more than a third of singles (39%) state that realistic, positive dating content leads to optimism about their own love lives, with this being even more prevalent amongst women (50%).

A shared love of sports ruled 2024, but beyond sports, the rise of micro-communities (book clubs and run clubs), fandom (hello Diljit and Taylor), and niche interests such as culinary classes, wine tasting, calisthenics and backpacking are taking over our social feeds. It’s also changing who and how we date, with nearly half (49%) of single Indians stating that unique and quirky interests are now key to attraction. Yes, participating in activities and social communities can actually make you more attractive, and for 1 in 2 women globally (50%) showing up authentically while dating means leaning into their passions and interests. Not only does this help identify partners, start conversations, and build compatibility but half (49%) of GenZ singles agree that geeking out on something together is a form of intimacy. Bumble recently launched more than 30 new Interest Badges such as trivia, thrifting, cold plunging, crocheting, and house plants to celebrate the many unique interests of its global community. You can now also filter by your chosen interests on the app as well.

From babygirl, to men in finance and the return of the hunk, male archetypes have exploded in pop culture with a wider conversation on how we identify ideal (or less ideal) characteristics. 1 in 3 (33%) globally agree that this year, more than ever, there have been more conversations on male stereotypes. But are these helpful or a hindrance in dating? Much like the experience of women, 1 in 4 (27%) men say these tropes make them uncomfortable because people make assumptions about their character and intentions. As we head into 2025, over half of Indian women (54%) agree that the conversation on masculinity needs to evolve to allow men to define what positive masculinity looks like individually.

In today’s world, uncertainty about the future, whether it’s finances, job security, housing, or climate change is playing into our love lives. The overwhelming majority of single Indians (94%) say their worries about the future are impacting who and how they date. For 6 in 10 (62%) women in India, increasing concerns about the future are leading them to place more value on stability - looking for 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%) women around the world pushing these topics to be discussed earlier than before, leading to candid conversations about budgeting, housing, climate change, and job ambitions.

From the group chats to pre and post-date hype, when it comes to dating, there is a new friend filter ascending, the rise of the man best friend. Nearly a third (32%) of single Indian 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. Amongst Indian women, 1 in 5 (22%) now ask their male friends to filter potential dates. Globally, the majority of women (54%) rely on the men in their lives to help give an explanation for men’s dating behaviour. Spoiler alert: sometimes there isn’t one.

Pracheta Mazumdar, India Senior Marketing Manager, Bumble, said: “Every year we ask our global community for their views on dating, the new behaviours they are seeing, and what they want and need in the year to come. 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, before committing to a relationship. 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.”