Best Dating Apps Of 2024, According To Research (2024)

A new Forbes Health survey polled 1,000 U.S. adults who have used a dating app within the last year to uncover the biggest “icks” (defined as, “a sudden feeling of disgust or dislike, often in response to the actions of another person”) associated with dating profiles—and what makes someone more inclined to match.

How Much Time Does It Take to Make a First Impression?

The survey found the average amount of time it takes to decide whether to swipe right or left on a match is nearly two-and-a-half minutes.

Almost a quarter of individuals state they spend just 31-to-60 seconds assessing another user’s profile, 21% felt one-to-two minutes was more their speed and 20% say it takes them more than five minutes. However, just 12% of people reported being able to decide to match or not to match in less than 30 seconds.

Women Are More Likely to Share Screenshots of Their Matches’ Profiles With Friends

Survey results show that more than half (51%) of respondents admit to sharing screenshots of their matches with friends, while 49% claim they’ve never done so. This also proves to be a slightly more popular act among women, with 55% saying they’ve passed a screenshot of someone’s profile to a friend, compared to 44% of men.

From a generational standpoint, 62% of Gen Z admit to this act. Alternatively, only 32% of baby boomers have shared profiles that caught their eye.

Biggest Dating Profile ‘Icks’

Given that people have about two minutes to impress someone with their dating profile, what are the biggest “icks” to avoid? When asked which quality of a dating profile would make users more likely to choose not to match with a person, the top factors were:

• Negativity or bitterness in their bio (70%)
• Overly-edited or filtered photos (63%)
• Too much emphasis on material possessions (62%)
• Lack of effort put into their profile (60%)
• Poor grammar and spelling (60%)

The Biggest Green Flags on a Dating Profile

The top dating profile attributes that make a person more likely to choose to match with a person, according to Forbes Health survey results, are as follows:

• Having a good sense of humor (82%)
• Having hobbies, interests or pastimes (80%)
• Portraying a good sense of style (76%)
• Showing an interest in travel (71%)
• Featuring a pet in a photo (65%)

Survey Methodology

This online survey of 1,000 Americans who have used a dating app within the past year was commissioned by Forbes Health and conducted by market research company Talker Research, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. Data was collected from March 27 to April 1, 2024. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 points with 95% confidence. This survey was overseen by Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).