# The US dating app market in 2026: owners, numbers and new laws

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-market-us

**In short:** The US is the world's biggest dating app market and home to Match Group, Bumble and Grindr. Only Grindr splits out US revenue: $78.8 million in the second quarter of 2026, up 30%. App age laws in Texas, Utah and Louisiana, an FTC settlement with Match and a Senate scam report are reshaping the rules.

The US is the largest dating app market in the world and the home market of the three biggest listed dating companies: Match Group, Bumble Inc and Grindr. Only Grindr reports its US revenue separately: $78.8 million in the three months to June 2026, up 30% on a year earlier and about 57% of its total [1]. Pew Research found that about 30% of US adults had used a dating site or app by 2022, as reported by Global Dating Insights [6]. The rules are changing fast, with app store age laws in Texas, Utah and Louisiana [9][10], a $14 million FTC settlement with Match [8] and a Senate report on romance scams [7].

This guide sets out who owns what, what the companies disclose about the US, how Americans use dating apps, and the legal changes operators need to plan for.

## Who owns the big US apps

| Owner | Main US apps | Revenue, Q2 2026 | Change on a year | Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Match Group | Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, BLK, Chispa, The League, Upward | $853.1m | down 1% | Public |
| Bumble Inc | Bumble, Badoo, BFF | $210.5m | down 15.2% | Agreed to go private |
| Grindr Inc | Grindr | $138.1m | up 33% | Public |

Source: Match Group [2][3], Bumble Inc [4][5] and Grindr [1] filings for the three months to June 2026. Revenue is worldwide; only Grindr splits out the US.

Match Group's second quarter letter names its brands but does not split revenue by country [2]. Bumble's results split revenue by app, not by country [4]. Bumble expects to remain based in Austin after Ithaca Holdings takes it private [5].

## What the companies say about the US

Even without country figures, the filings show which way the US market is moving.

- **Tinder is still losing members in the US, but more slowly.** Match said Tinder's US monthly active member declines improved by about 2.5 percentage points in the second quarter compared with the first [2].
- **Hinge is growing on campaigns aimed at women.** Match said Hinge's US campaign lifted registrations, particularly among young women, and that Hinge's core markets had roughly flat monthly active members with revenue up double digits [2].
- **Grindr's US business is growing faster than its international one.** US revenue rose from $60.4 million to $78.8 million in the second quarter, while international revenue rose from $43.8 million to $59.4 million [1]. Across the first half of 2026, US revenue was $152.8 million out of $268.1 million [1].
- **Grindr is moving into US health services.** It agreed to buy PurposeMed, parent of the PrEP telehealth service Freddie, for $250 million, citing about 650,000 people using PrEP in the US against an estimated 2.2 million who could benefit [12].

For the full revenue and payer comparison, see our [Q2 2026 revenue scorecard](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue).

## How Americans use dating apps

The most cited figure comes from Pew Research: about 30% of US adults had used a dating site or app by 2022, with younger and LGBTQ adults much more likely to have done so [6]. We could not open Pew's own page for this article, so the figure here is as reported by Global Dating Insights.

Dating apps also shape how couples form. The Knot's 2025 Real Weddings Study, which surveyed nearly 17,000 US couples, found about 27% of couples marrying in 2025 first met through a dating site or app, with Hinge the most common app among them [6]. The sample is couples using a wedding planning site, so it is not a national figure [6].

## The new rules: age checks, scams and subscriptions

### App store age laws

Three states now make app stores and developers handle age. Apple began applying Texas SB 2420 to new Apple Accounts in Texas from 4 June 2026, after a court lifted an injunction [9]. The law requires age assurance and parent or guardian consent for under-18s for downloads, in-app purchases and significant app changes, and parents can withdraw consent [9]. Apple applies similar tools to new accounts in Utah from 6 May 2026 and in Louisiana from 1 July 2026 [10].

| State | Applies to new Apple Accounts from | What developers get from Apple |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Utah | 6 May 2026 | Age category through the Declared Age Range API; parental permission signals for significant updates |
| Texas | 4 June 2026 | Age category, consent for significant changes, a notice when a parent withdraws consent |
| Louisiana | 1 July 2026 | Age category and parental permission signals |

Source: Apple Developer news [9][10].

Dating apps are adult services, but these laws still matter. Apple's tools tell developers which age band an account is in [9]. An app that ignores that signal and lets an account flagged as a minor sign up will struggle to argue it took reasonable steps. See our guide to [age verification for dating apps](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps).

### Romance scams

In October 2026 Senator Maggie Hassan released the results of a year-long investigation into scams on Match Group's apps [7]. It found that in the first nine months of 2025, nearly 1.5 million scammers and other bad actors on Tinder and Hinge matched with at least one US member, and nearly 500,000 exchanged contact details [7]. The report cites FTC data showing nearly $1.5 billion of US romance scam losses in 2025 [7]. Match pointed to Face Check, a mandatory video selfie for new US Tinder members since December 2025, which it said cut interactions with bad actors by 70% [7].

### The FTC and subscriptions

The FTC sued Match Group in September 2019 over ads triggered by messages from accounts Match had flagged as likely fraudulent, a guarantee with undisclosed conditions, banning members who disputed charges and a hard cancellation process [13]. A proposed settlement was filed on 12 August 2025: Match pays $14 million, stops misrepresenting guarantees, stops locking out members who have paid and simplifies cancellation on Match.com [8].

### Payments

The US is the one Apple storefront where apps may include buttons and links to pay outside the app [11]. Match's cost of revenue fell 16% in the second quarter of 2026, mainly because of savings from alternative payments [2]. For an app paying full commission, moving even part of its subscriptions to the web is now one of the largest margin levers available.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **The US rewards focus.** The two growing businesses, Hinge and Grindr, both serve a clear audience [1][2]. A broad app with no clear audience is fighting Tinder on its home ground.
- **Treat age signals as part of sign-up.** With Texas, Utah and Louisiana in force, an app should read the age band the store provides and block accounts flagged as minors [9][10].
- **Scam prevention is now a public test.** The Senate report sets out what a large operator was asked to show: model updates, detection rules and verification results [7]. Smaller apps will be asked the same questions by partners and regulators.
- **Make cancelling easy and guarantees plain.** The Match case shows the FTC treats cancellation flows and offer terms as enforcement targets [8][13].
- **Set up web payments in the US.** It is the one Apple market where you can link out today [11]. If you are planning that work alongside a rebuild, our [app build page](/app-build) explains what is involved.

## Questions

**How many Americans use dating apps?**

Pew Research found about 30% of US adults had used a dating site or app by 2022, as reported by Global Dating Insights [6]. Use was higher among younger and LGBTQ adults [6].

**How much of Grindr's revenue comes from the US?**

In the three months to June 2026, $78.8 million of Grindr's $138.1 million revenue came from the US, about 57% [1].

**What is the Texas app store age law?**

Texas SB 2420 requires app stores and developers to apply age checks and get parental consent for under-18s. Apple began applying it to new Texas accounts from 4 June 2026, after a court lifted an injunction [9].

**Did the FTC settle with Match Group?**

Yes. A proposed settlement filed on 12 August 2025 has Match paying $14 million and changing its guarantee, billing dispute and cancellation practices [8].

## Sources

1. Grindr Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000025/grnd-20260630.htm
2. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
3. Match Group Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000130/mtch-20260630.htm
4. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
5. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
6. Dating apps account for over a quarter of US marriages in 2025, Global Dating Insights, 2025-11-19. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/dating-apps-account-for-over-a-quarter-of-u-s-marriages-in-2025/
7. US Senate releases romance scam investigation report, finds gaps in Tinder's fraud detection, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-13. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/us-senate-tinder-romance-scam-investigation-report/
8. FTC v. Match Group, Inc. case page, Federal Trade Commission, 2025-08-12. https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/172-3013-match-group-inc
9. Update for apps distributed in Texas, Apple Developer, 2026-06-03. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=sg176nne
10. Age requirements for apps distributed in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana, Apple Developer, 2026-02-24. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=f5zj08ey
11. App Review Guidelines, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
12. Grindr to acquire PurposeMed, parent of Freddie, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-09-30. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000033/exhibit991-pressreleasedat.htm
13. FTC sues owner of online dating service Match.com for using fake love interest ads, Federal Trade Commission, 2019-09-25. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/09/ftc-sues-owner-online-dating-service-matchcom-using-fake-love