People use dating apps for more than just love or hookups, study finds

A new meta-synthesis sheds light on the wide range of motivations that drive people to use dating apps—especially among underrepresented groups such as sexual minorities and older adults. Published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, the study synthesizes findings from 21 qualitative investigations, identifying eight major themes that go beyond the common stereotypes of online dating. The results suggest that motivations vary depending on age and sexual identity, and that existing survey tools may miss some of the reasons people turn to these platforms.

Previous research on online dating has relied heavily on quantitative methods, which tend to use predefined checklists of reasons why someone might use a dating app. While this approach has uncovered useful patterns, it often overlooks the more nuanced or personal experiences of marginalized individuals. In contrast, qualitative studies are more likely to include diverse participants and allow them to express their motivations in their own words. By compiling and analyzing these qualitative findings, the researchers aimed to generate a more inclusive and detailed picture of why people use dating apps.

“This research was spearheaded by my former doctoral student, Dr. Jenna McPherson. Quite a bit of research has focused on what motivates people to use online dating platforms and dating apps. The goal of our study was to locate all of the existing qualitative research that focuses this topic and synthesize, or combine, their findings,” said corresponding author Rachael Robnett, a professor of psychology at the University of Nevada,

“This process is called a meta-synthesis. The major advantage of a meta-synthesis is that it allows researchers to detect patterns across a wide body of research that are not apparent when you focus on the findings of a single study. In our case, for example, we were curious about whether people from different groups have different reasons for using dating apps.”

The research team conducted a systematic search of databases such as PsycINFO, PubMed, and ProQuest to identify studies focused on online dating and users’ motivations. They included only qualitative studies published in English or Spanish that examined why people use dating apps. Out of over 7,000 initial results, the team narrowed the pool to 21 studies that fit the criteria. These included interviews with a wide range of users from different age groups, gender identities, and sexual orientations, across countries including the United States, China, South Africa, India, and Mexico.

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Using thematic analysis, the researchers identified eight overarching categories of motives: romantic relationships, sexual relationships, socializing, entertainment, self-enhancement, convenience, curiosity, and external factors.

Many of these themes contained multiple subthemes. For example, the entertainment category included people who used dating apps for fun, distraction, or stress relief, while the self-enhancement category included motives related to building self-esteem, improving flirting skills, or experimenting with identity. The romantic relationship category was the most common and was found in nearly every study. This included people seeking long-term relationships, marriage, or companionship.

Sexual relationships were also frequently mentioned, often in connection with short-term encounters. However, not all sexual motives were casual. Some participants described using dating apps to explore sexuality with a partner or in the context of a committed relationship. Socializing was another widely cited reason. Participants used dating apps to make friends, meet people while traveling, or alleviate loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some even described using dating apps primarily for platonic connections.

Several motivations appeared to be especially relevant to marginalized groups. For instance, sexual minority participants were more likely than heterosexual participants to use dating apps to access specific communities. In areas where public expressions of same-sex attraction might be stigmatized or unsafe, dating apps offered a way to connect with like-minded individuals while minimizing personal risk. One participant described how the app Jack’d allowed him to interact with other gay or bisexual men in a “comfort zone” where he didn’t have to guess others’ sexual orientation or fear rejection or violence.

“As mentioned, we were interested in whether people from different groups had different reasons for engaging in online dating,” Robnett told PsyPost. “Relative to participants who identified as heterosexual, participants who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) were especially likely to note that they appreciate the safety, belonging, and convenience that dating apps afford.”

“For example, some LGBQ participants explained that more traditional dating methods (e.g., approaching someone at a bar) can be challenging and even dangerous when you don’t know their sexual identity. This is because LGBQ people continue to face stigma, aggression, and violence on the basis of their sexual identity. Dating apps help to circumvent this issue by allowing users to screen dating partners on the basis of sexual identity and other characteristics.”

Older adults, on the other hand, were more likely to report using dating apps to find romantic companionship rather than for sex or self-esteem boosts. In one example, a retired man explained that he turned to dating apps after losing social contact with others and wanting to avoid being alone. This finding supports earlier research suggesting that older adults may be drawn to online dating for emotional connection and companionship more than for entertainment or physical intimacy.

The study also identified a number of motivations that are rarely captured in traditional surveys. These included using dating apps out of curiosity, boredom, or peer pressure. Some participants said they joined apps simply because their friends did, or because “everyone else was doing it.” Others used dating apps as a way to move on from a breakup, boost their confidence, or pass time during a stressful period. A few even used dating apps for business purposes, such as meeting people in specific professions or finding clients.

“A common stereotype is that people mainly use dating apps to facilitate short-term sexual encounters,” Robnett said. “Our findings demonstrated that this is only one of the many reasons why people use dating apps. People also use these platforms to find long-term romantic partners or even platonic friendships. A few studies also indicated that people use dating apps to learn more about themselves and their preferences, improve their self-esteem, and practice skills such as flirting. Overall, people use these platforms strategically, flexibly, and with intent to meet a variety of needs.”

Despite this wide range of motives, the researchers found relatively few differences based on gender. This may reflect limitations in the existing literature, which still tends to treat gender as a binary and often fails to include or differentiate between cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary individuals. Similarly, many studies did not report participants’ sexual identity, which limited the researchers’ ability to explore how motivations may differ across diverse sexual orientations.

“We did not find that people’s reasons for using dating apps differed on the basis of their gender identity,” Robnett said. “This runs counter to some prior research; however, the gender similarities we observed are consistent with other research demonstrating that most gender stereotypes about dating and romance are overstated.”

The authors note that these gaps point to a larger issue in dating app research. Studies often focus on young, heterosexual users and overlook older adults, gender-diverse individuals, and sexual minorities. This can skew our understanding of how and why people use online dating platforms. The authors recommend that future research report more detailed demographic information and that researchers update existing survey instruments to include a broader range of motivations.

The study also raises questions about how dating apps themselves could evolve to better serve different user groups. Given that many people use apps for friendship, emotional support, or self-growth—not just for romance or sex—dating platforms might consider creating more flexible user experiences that allow for a wider range of connections. Some newer apps already include features for finding friends or networking, but the findings suggest that even traditional dating apps could benefit from acknowledging this diversity in user intent.

There are some limitations to the study. Because the meta-synthesis focused on English- and Spanish-language articles, it may have missed relevant research published in other languages. “Because norms surrounding dating and romance vary globally, it stands to reason that we would have found a wider range of motives if we had included articles written in other languages,” Robnett noted.

Also, the quality of the original studies varied, and some lacked full reporting on participant demographics. “Several of the articles in our meta-synthesis did not include any information about participants’ sexual identity,” Robnett explained. “Having this information would have enabled us to test for more nuanced patterns related to this aspect of background. Relatedly, only a few of the articles that we examined focused on participants age 40 and older, which hampered our ability to draw strong conclusions about whether and how people’s reasons for using dating apps might change with age.”

Still, the authors believe the synthesis offers important insights that can help researchers, clinicians, and dating app designers understand the complex motivations behind online dating. Future studies could explore how motivations change over time. For example, someone might initially join an app to find a partner but later use it for companionship or to build confidence. Researchers could also examine how experiences such as dating fatigue, burnout, or algorithmic matching influence users’ goals and satisfaction. Longitudinal studies would be especially useful for tracing these changes.

The study, “Motives for engaging in online dating: A meta-synthesis,” was authored by Jenna L. McPherson, Claudia Q. Luu, Jessica P. Nguyen, Melanie Garcia, and Rachael D. Robnett.