Single 20-somethings need AI to make first move on dating apps - Hinge boss

Single 20-somethings need AI to start conversations on dating apps because they lack the confidence of older generations, says the boss of Hinge.

Jackie Jantos told the BBC Gen Z daters "absolutely want love" but were "struggling to have the confidence to put themselves out there" as they socialise less in person.

She defended Hinge's AI feature which creates prompts to start chatting with a match as "not about writing words for you" but "helping you express who you are".

Hinge has continued to grow its UK users despite some relationship experts warning of "dating app burnout" and a return to more organic in person meetings.

Founded in 2012 and owned by Match Group, which also owns Tinder and Match.com, Hinge has built its brand around the slogan "designed to be deleted".

Jantos dismisses accusations that this is "just a marketing line", saying it wants to help users find long-term relationships rather stay on the platform indefinitely.

Tinder is the most visited dating app, but over the past three years usage has been dropping and it's now only marginally ahead of nearest competitor Hinge. Bumble and Grindr follow Hinge in the most used dating services.

Some 1.5 million adults used Hinge in the year up to May 2025, up from 1.4 million a year earlier.