Dating Apps Are Having Their Worst Year Ever, Here's What's Replacing Them

As major dating apps report falling subscribers and declining match rates, this Nashville-based platform connects singles through the real communities and events they already love

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Find: Social for Singles is built around real-life communities and events, as an alternative to traditional swipe-based dating apps, pointing to new industry data on falling subscribers and engagement across major platforms. Rather than matching with complete strangers, Find connects singles who are already showing up to the same running clubs, nightlife scenes, sports leagues, faith groups and local events, turning a shared passion into a natural, real connection instead of cold, online small talk with a stranger.

This fresh positioning comes as swipe fatigue reshapes the dating app category. More than three in four dating app users report feeling fatigued by the swiping format, according to a 2024 Forbes Health survey. Moreover, the leading dating platforms’ own numbers reflect the trend: Match Group has reported eight consecutive quarters of paying-subscriber declines at Tinder, with match rates for men falling to roughly 0.6%, while total paying users across Match Group’s platforms fell 6% to 13.3 million in its second quarter 2026. Bumble’s paying user base declined even further, down 16% year-over-year in its second quarter of 2026. Separately, more than 70% of Gen Z daters report app burnout and are turning to matchmakers, curated introductions and real-world events instead. This is a shift Find says favors its community-first model, citing conversion rates of 60–80% for matchmaker- and introduction-based connections, compared with under 10% for connections that originate on an app.

In its launch market of Nashville, Find has built a growing network of local social club and event partners, including running crews, nightlife venues, sports leagues and hometown event organizers, each with a branded Community inside the app. A runner heading to her usual Saturday run club, for example, can see someone who’s going and aligns with her interests, join the group chat beforehand, and leave having made a real connection instead of just logging a workout. Find says it plans to bring the same model to additional cities as its Community partner network grows.

“Dating apps turned romance into a stack of strangers to swipe through, and people are exhausted by it,” said Winder Hughes, Founder of Find Labs, Inc. “Find works because it starts with something real, a run club, a night out, a local event people are already showing up for. That shared context does something a swipe never could: it gives two people common ground before they even say hello.”

Find: Social for Singles is available now in the United States, with a growing roster of partner Communities and Events added each week.

About Find

Find: Social for Singles replaces swiping with real life, connecting people through the local communities and events they already love. With Green Flag Verified profiles and a growing network of partner clubs and venues, Find is built for singles who are done with dating apps but not done with dating. Find is a product of Find Labs, Inc. Learn more at meetfind.app or on Instagram @meetfindapp.

Brandi Dunham

[email protected]

SOURCE Find