It might not be what you want to hear, but dating apps are your best chance at finding a long term partner in 2026. So if you’re hoping to settle down in the near future, we encourage you to be realistic, not romantic (romance is not dead – read on for the full explanation!). In this blog post, we’re sharing some statistics about dating from 2025 to give you the evidence you need to download that dating app in order to find success in dating in 2026.

Stigma of Dating Apps

We’re living in an age of reluctant daters on dating apps. Dating apps no longer have the same stigma attached to them as they had 10 years ago. They’re no longer seen as a place for desperate weirdos to prey on vulnerable people. Instead they have millions of users worldwide and are seen as a valid way to meet a long-term partner and find success in dating. In fact, in 2024, it was found that ‘the overwhelming majority met on dating apps’ (The Knot 2024 Jewelry & Engagement Study). But despite the overwhelming statistics, the attitude of users on dating apps still seems to be one of ‘reluctance’.

SALT Dating App Survey 2025

We analysed 41,336 responses to questions relating to dating apps across November and December 2025.

We found that:

• 81% of Christians would like to find a spouse within their own church

But…

• 87% of Christians see the necessity of dating apps
• 82% of Christians think dating apps will still be around in 10 years

It seems we cannot stop romanticizing relationships. Of course it would be lovely and ideal to meet your future spouse in the flesh rather than online. That’s currently our idea of success in dating. With the hopes of daters being intrinsically linked with their ideals and idea of romance, I guess it makes sense that we have a few reluctant users.

Maybe it’s time to stop being romantic and start being realistic. You might be reluctant to download a dating app, but realise it’s your best chance of finding a spouse.

Success Stories From SALT

You will have seen from the statistics that dating apps are where most marriages start. You’ll also have seen the attitude of reluctance from the users of dating apps. We also see both the success in dating and the attitude of reluctance in anecdotal evidence.

Couples who met on SALT Christian dating app have the opportunity to tell their success stories. We’ve pulled out some quotes that illustrate the reluctance towards dating apps, even for those who found love online.

“I never imagined that I would meet my man on a dating app as I was always rejecting them and never had one due to the odd users there…”

“Despite having a love/hate relationship with online dating, the holiday season made me open to it again. But with very low expectations of a successful result. Over the years I would go through periods of signing up, being disappointed or frustrated and then deleting my account. It was an ongoing cycle over the past 10 or so years…. 15 months from when we first connected online, we will be getting married at the ripe old ages of 45 and 48 respectively”

“I had started to give up on the chance of finding someone but God had other ideas and led us both on SALT!”

It seems even using dating apps reluctantly has worked out better than not using them at all for many couples!

How to Find Success in Dating

Are you hoping to find love in 2026? Maybe even your future spouse?

We encourage you to download a dating app that allows you to showcase yourself in a way that feels authentic. The best dating app for Christians is SALT.

We know dating apps don’t initially feel romantic. We know you feel reluctant. But be realistic.

You’ve seen the stats, you’ve heard from the success stories. Now, download a dating app.

Success on Dating Apps

It’s actually really important for us in the next few years to try and shift our user base from ‘reluctant’ to ‘realistic’. The problem with reluctant daters is that they’re one foot in, one foot out. Because they’re not convinced they want to find their partner on a dating app, they don’t put in the effort required to use dating apps effectively.

Here’s how a reluctant dater uses a dating app:

• They fill in the minimum requirements to get a profile live
• They respond to matches with cynicism and short answers
• They ghost people
• They don’t read all of other people’s profiles
• They set idealistic preferences to ‘prove’ to themselves dating apps don’t work
• They delete their account as soon as they encounter weirdos / ghosting / scammers / rejection

Here’s how a realistic dater uses a dating app:

• They fill in their profile in a way that showcases themselves effectively – plenty of photos, lots of prompts completed and loads of personality
• They believe the best in people and give full answers when messaging
• If they’re not feeling it, they communicate that with their match
• They appreciate each person’s profile and scroll all the way to the bottom
• They set their preferences with a degree of flexibility and openness
• They make use of the moderation features in the app when they encounter weirdos / ghosting / scammers and respond maturely to rejection.

Be a Realistic Dater

We want realistic daters on SALT. Dating apps will always require wisdom and discernment. They require some work, good communication and emotional maturity. However you can know on SALT that our moderation team are working 24/7 to keep you safe. Plus with tools like video calling and voice notes all included for free, you can meet, match and chat online confidently.

A realistic dater can navigate the bad and recognise the good. A realistic dater knows it’s not how you met, but it’s what you build together that’s important.

Stop being so romantic! Stop being reluctant. Be realistic about your dating in 2026.