It is difficult to remember a time before dating apps existed. “We met on [insert dating app name here]” is no longer a statement people are embarrassed to make – in fact, with millions of users on apps like Hinge, Tinder and Bumble, it’s more common than ever to meet your partner via swipe. 

Naturally, we wonder whether using these digital platforms has changed our dating habits. Luckily, we now have some intel from Bumble: 4,000 Canadian users (38% of whom were between the ages of 18 and 24, 20.3% were between 25 and 29 and 24.9% were between 30 and 39) were surveyed this year and the results are telling of people’s intentions for using the app. Here are the biggest takeaways. 

Lots of Users are Looking for Love

Nearly half of those polled were looking for a long-term romantic relationship, while 18% were looking for casual romance (e.g. a hookup or friends-with-benefits situation). Somewhere in the middle at 27% of the respondents were “open to anything.” 

No Photos = No Match

If you don’t have any photos of yourself on your profile, you might want to change that –  73% of surveyed users said no photos was a dealbreaker for them. 

Other dealbreakers include bad or overly edited photos (54% answered this), only group photos (47%) or only having selfies on your profile (17%). In short, photo selection is key. A mix of group and solo shots can’t hurt (and neither can asking a friend to help you select your photos).

Sex Can Happen Anytime

There’s an unwritten “rule” that you should not have sex on a first date and instead wait until the third – but more than half of Bumble users said their decision to have sex is unrelated to the number of dates they’ve been on. While this go-with-the-flow approach works for more than half of polled users, 32% said they still wait between one and three dates before having sex. The smallest pool (11%) said they wait to go on more than three dates before having sex. There is no right or wrong way to approach it (as long as it’s consensual!); the point is that it is totally situational and people are having sex when it’s right for them.

Cafes Are The Go-To Meet-up Spots

One of the only things that can be more stressful than a first date itself is choosing a spot to meet. Coffee dates reign supreme, with 44% choosing the casual cafe option. Second and third place date spots are drinks at a bar (21%) and a full dinner at a restaurant (16%). As for ideal time of day, the overwhelming majority of users prefer evenings and weekends (64%) over a weekday or daytime date. 

Sober Dating Is More Popular Than You Think

Alcohol can be a big part of dating, as the aforementioned bar-date result mentioned. A majority of users stated that they do drink (82%) but a considerable amount are interested in sober dating (67%), a positive result for those who are not interested in drinking. 

Read more:

Should You Talk On The Phone Before A First Date?

This Writer Said Yes To Every Single Dating Request for a Month

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