For a long time, smartphones have had a big role in dating. Apps have made it easier to meet a new partner. However, dating app companies are in trouble. The two biggest companies have lost $40 billion in value since 2021. Workers in these companies are losing their jobs. This is because young people do not want to pay to subscribe to use the apps. Instead, they are using free platforms like TikTok. Companies need subscriptions to make money.

In 2017, a poll found that by 2040, 70 per cent of couples would meet online. However, times are changing. Younger people have less money to spend. A newspaper asked young people about dating apps. An 18-year-old said she preferred to meet people in person, or through social media. She said dating apps were "like a game". None of her friends paid for the apps. She thought that paying for them was a no-no.