Swipe right: using data to date better
With a huge number of people around the world currently self-isolating, online dating is set to become a lot more popular. Online dating may be as old as the internet, but it can still be difficult to find the right person when you’re not talking face-to-face, especially if you’re not talking at the same time of day.
We surveyed users to learn when they're most active on dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, Grindr and Hinge, to help you find the best time to get a date. With Tinder reporting that 95% of meet-ups take place two to seven days after matching, and our data suggesting that 30% of dating app users are active for fewer than 10 minutes a day, time is of the essence when it comes to online dating: the quicker you act, the more likely you are to move forward.
The best days and times to use dating apps
Our survey found the optimal times and days to use dating apps in order to get a spark going, based on when others are most likely to be active.
Users are most likely to be active on dating apps on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Saturday is the most popular of the three, with 1 in 3 users being most active at this time. 46% of Saturday users were active in the evening, from 8pm onwards.
Tuesday is the least popular day to find a date, with just 1% of users likely to be active then. Like the Cure sang, “Tuesday, Wednesday stay in bed”.
| Age | Weekday | Time of day | Minutes in dating apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | Saturday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 10 or fewer |
| 25-34 | Saturday | Late Evening 20:00-00:00 | 11-20 |
| 35-44 | Friday | Late Evening 20:00-00:00 | 11-20 |
| 45-54 | Sunday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 10 or fewer |
| 55-64 | Sunday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 11-20 |
| 65+ | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Age | Weekday | Time of day | Minutes in dating apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | Friday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 11-20 |
| 25-34 | Saturday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 10 or fewer |
| 35-44 | Saturday | Late Evening 20:00-00:00 | 11-20 |
| 45-54 | Sunday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 10 or fewer |
| 55-64 | Saturday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 21-30 |
| 65+ | Friday | Evening 17:00-19:00 | 11-20 |
Our research revealed that — overall — men spend an average of 21 minutes per day swiping, whilst women spend slightly less time, with an average of 18 minutes per day. Most of this activity takes place in the evening, with 41% of all users being most active from 5pm to 7pm.
The results also show that users who spend the most time on dating apps are 25-34 years old, with 1 in 10 of this group using the apps for upwards of 41 minutes per day. 70% of 18-24-year-olds are speedier when it comes to dating, with these users spending 20 minutes or fewer a day on dating apps.
Optimisation for astrologists: when might your best fit be online?
We also looked at how the data is split by star signs. You may not believe in astrology, but the chances are your date will, as more than 75% of Gen Zs claim to believe in star signs.
For example, 70% of Capricorns are the most active on Saturdays whereas 1 in 3 Cancer singletons are online the most on Fridays. The findings also revealed that Cancer, Leo, Sagittarius, and Virgo females spend the most time on dating apps compared to other women. For the men in the study, Libras were the most active star sign.
- Hungry for crabs? 🦀 Cancer-signs nip out Friday evenings.
- Thirsty for fish? 🐟 Pisces flop out a little later.
The table below shows the times each star sign surveyed was most active on dating apps. Find your own star sign in the second column to discover the best time to search for an astrological romance.
| Star sign | Best fit for | Weekday | Time of day | % of people online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | Aquarius, Gemini, Leo & Saggitarius | Saturday | All evening 17:00 - 00:00 | 50% |
| Taurus | Virgo & Pisces | Saturday | Evening 17:00 - 19:00 | 50% |
| Gemini | Aquarius & Libra | Saturday | Evening 17:00 - 19:00 | 67% |
| Cancer | Scorpio & Pisces | Friday | Evening 17:00 - 19:00 | 50% |
| Leo | Sagittarius, Libra, Gemini & Aries | Friday / Saturday | Evening 17:00 - 19:00 | 45% |
| Virgo | Taurus & Capricorn | Friday | Evening 17:00 - 19:00 | 60% |
| Libra | Leo & Saggitarius | Saturday | Late evening 20:00 - 00:00 | 63% |
| Scorpio | Scorpio & Pisces | Friday / Saturday | All evening 17:00 - 00:00 | 50% |
| Sagittarius | Leo, Aries Aquarius and Libra | Friday | Late evening 20:00 - 00:00 | 83% |
| Capricorn | Pisces, Scorpio, Virgo & Taurus | Saturday | Late evening 20:00 - 00:00 | 50% |
| Aquarius | Gemini & Libra | Friday | Evening 17:00 - 19:00 | 73% |
| Pisces | Scorpio & Cancer | Friday | Late evening 20:00 - 00:00 | 46% |
Our survey can help you find the best times to be active, but our knowledge doesn’t extend to getting a date! We’ll leave that sort of advice to the experts over at Cosmo and Tinder. Good luck! ❤️
