Micro-mance: From embracing the cringe and PDAs to romcoms and meet-cutes, romance is making a comeback in 2025. Over half (58%) of British women are self-proclaimed romantics and for over two-fifths (44%), a lack of romance has had a negative impact on their dating lives.

Instead of grand gestures, people are embracing romance through micro-mance, a term to describe expressing your feelings through smaller gestures that make a big impact. In fact, the majority (86%) of singles agree that how we show love and affection now includes behaviours like sending memes, a playlist or sharing inside jokes.

The positive impacts of dating content: The way people interact and showcase dating on social media has also changed with dating debriefs, live-streamed break-ups and hard launches becoming increasingly popular on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Bumble predicts this growing social media trend will be even more relevant next year. 41% of singles are celebrating more authentic dating and relationship content, showing not only the highs but also the lows, serving as a ‘window’ to the broader dating experience. In fact, 39% of singles state that realistic, positive dating content leads to optimism about their own love lives.

The rise of micro-communities: A shared love of sports ruled 2024, but beyond sports, the rise of micro-communities (book clubs and run clubs), fandoms and niche interests (the rise of padel, cold plunging and fantasy fiction) are taking over our social feeds and also how we date. Around 60% of singles stated that unique and quirky interests are now key to attraction.

Not only does this help identify partners, start conversations and build compatibility, but nearly three in five (59%) of Gen Z singles agree that being passionate about something together is a form of intimacy.

Male-casting: From hot rodent men to men in finance and the return of the hunk, male archetypes have exploded in pop culture, sparking a wider conversation about how we identify ideal (or less than ideal) characteristics.

More than 36% of singles agree that there have been more conversations around male stereotypes this year. But over one in four men say these tropes can create false assumptions about themselves and their intentions. As we head into 2025, over half of women agree that the conversation on masculinity needs to evolve to allow men to define what positive masculinity looks like for them.

Future-proofing: In today’s world, uncertainty about the future, whether it’s finances, job security, housing or climate change, is seeping into our love lives. The overwhelming majority of singles (95%) say their worries about the future are impacting who and how they date. For a majority (59%) of women, this means placing more value on stability and looking for a partner who is emotionally consistent, reliable and has clear goals when it comes to their life.

The rise of the guy best friend: Nearly a third (31%) of single women say they are more open with their male friends than they used to be about their dating lives, indicating a shift towards men engaging with their friends in a much deeper way and becoming a more significant part of their support network. Among women, one in five (22%) now ask male friends to filter potential dates, and the majority of women (54%) rely on the men in their lives to help give an explanation for men’s dating behaviour.

Commenting on these dating trends, Selby Drummond, Bumble’s chief marketing officer, said: “Next year is going to be a transitional year for dating. Whether people are looking for something casual, something serious or something in between, these trends reflect what we’ve heard from our community, which is that they are looking for engaging conversations that lead to authentic real-life connections.”

Dating in 2025: women are embracing ‘micro-mance’ and relying on their guy best friends