2020 Dating Trends: How Single Indians Searched For Partners Revealed By Bumble

2020 has upended our lives in unexpected ways - redefining dating rules, navigating virtual and socially-distanced dating etiquettes, and different approaches to relationships and mental wellbeing in this new environment. 

Bumble’s most recent data revealed that over 40% of daters in India say they are no longer confident that they know how to date successfully and 70% of single Indians say they are not comfortable navigating dating in 2020, while one in two claim they are ready to go on a date in-person.

Here is a look ahead to what that means for the future of romance as we head into 2021.

DATING IN 2020: 

Throughout this turbulent year, meaningful online connections reigned supreme globally, albeit in new and different ways. In 2020, we’ve seen an increased need for social connections since March when lockdown and social distancing restrictions began in India, evidenced by the fact that over 540 million messages have been sent on Bumble in India in 2020.

TRENDING TOPIC in 2020: The most popular topic of conversation in 2020 was ‘working from home’ as 57% of daters discussed this as their new normal.

MAKING THE FIRST MOVE: People are diving right in to make the first move with their profile prompts. The most popular prompt used in India in 2020 was: Beach or mountains… 

Other top popular prompts in India in 2020 were: 

• Nightclub or Netflix...
• We’ll get on if…
• After work you can find me…
• Favourite quality in a person…

EMOJIS OF CHOICE: An emoji says a thousand words.

The heart wants what it wants! The most used emoji on Bumble profiles in India was the classic red heart (️). This goes to show that even during a pandemic, single Indians looked to find meaningful connections.

• The other top 4 emojis used by women on Bumble profiles were: (), (), (), ()
• The other top 4 emojis used by men on Bumble profiles were: (), (), (), (🤷)

WHEN THE STARS ALIGN: Zodiac signs continue to be a hot topic amongst the Bumble community. So which of the signs was most likely to find love in India in 2020? 

Leos were most lucky in love across India on Bumble this year - they had the most matches of any star sign, followed by Scorpio and Libra.

PHOTO MUST HAVES: The more photos you have, the more chances you’ll match. 2 in 3 (63%) of Bumble daters used photos of them in their everyday lives on their profiles in 2020 while selfies (62%) took the second spot. 

Dating Trends in 2020: With 2020 upending just about every aspect of our lives, new and unexpected dating trends have emerged.

THE ERA OF “SLOW DATING”

More than ever, people are feeling a strong desire to build trust online before taking the relationship offline, leading to more virtual communication. 

• Bumble was one of the only apps to already have video and voice calls when lockdown began.
• More than 40% of the Bumble global community are slowing down the “get to know you phase.” Women are now more likely to really focus on the qualities in a partner that are right for them, ultimately putting less pressure on themselves in dating.
• Globally, we saw a 38% increase in video and voice calls following lockdown restrictions being put in place across the world in March 2020. 
• People are having more quality conversations online, with Bumble’s voice and video calls, otherwise known as “pre-dates” averaging roughly 20 minutes in India. 
• Since India went into lock down more than one in two chats turned into something more meaningful this year. While people started settling into the new normal, they also wanted to stay connected. Globally, we saw a 16% increase in messages sent on the Bumble app.

THE RISE OF “NEW DAWN DATERS”

1 in 2 (over 46%) people on Bumble in India are likely to be “New Dawn Daters” – people who are newly single after experiencing a break-up during the COVID-19 pandemic

• While the biggest driver of break ups was the inability to see a partner (46.45%)
• 1 in 3 people (29%) also said that the pandemic has precipitated existing issues. 

The COVID Conversation

The pandemic and our health and safety concerns have been a trending topic of conversation for single people everywhere. In this new landscape, people are learning to navigate the new rules of dating, and are trying new ways to meet others virtually or IRL.

• Bumble launched new dating badges to help people communicate how they would like to date: virtual, socially-distanced, or socially-distanced with masks. 
• This helps the Bumble community with potentially awkward conversations about how they are comfortable dating post-lockdown and also allows people to search for others who are dating like them. 
• More than 1 million people have used this feature globally to communicate how they want to date (virtually, socially distanced or socially-distanced with masks). 

Dating in 2021: What to Expect + Tips to Bumble better

As we look ahead to 2021, there’s no doubt the dating landscape will continue to evolve. 

PREDICTIONS:

• Dating in-person is definitely not off the table with one in two people from our Bumble community in India claiming that they are ready to date in-person.
• Bumble daters in India are increasingly open to virtual dating with 1 in 5 up for using Video Chat heading into the New Year.
• Dating will ramp up in early 2021, as 69% of Bumble daters say they’re planning to use dating apps just as much as they do now, if not more through Valentine’s Day 2021.

Below are some tips to Bumble better:

• Timing matters: On any given day, the right timing can make all the difference. The most popular time to be on Bumble in India is between 8 PM to 10 PM on Sunday evenings.
• The more you share, the more you match. Adding a Badge to your Bumble profile – like if you have pets, your exercise habits and your zodiac sign – increases your chance of getting a match  by up to 96%.
• Make sure to complete your bio. Those who fill out their bios experience 41% increase in the number of monthly average matches than those who don’t. 
• Your picture says a thousand words. Adding 4 to 6 profile photos see a 30% increase in the average number of monthly matches than those who don’t.
• Make your boundaries and intentions clear from the start. People who share what kind of dates they are comfortable with through Bumble’s new dating badges (virtual, socially-distanced, or socially-distanced with masks) see a 43% increase in the average number of monthly matches than those who don’t.

Resources:

Bumble’s Dating 101 in 2021 is an exclusive year-end guide to all things dating in the time of COVID – fueled by consumer insights, platform trends and expert advice. 

METHODOLOGY

All stats based on proprietary global Bumble platform insights between January – November 2020.