Dating app targets Gen Z marriage

Match Group is wagering that Gen Z still wants marriage, a stance that clashes with shifting social norms and mixed user feedback. The company recently relaunched Upward, an app originally built for Christian daters in 2020, to target young singles who prioritize traditional values regardless of their specific faith.

A 2026 Singles in America study by Match Group found that 72 percent of Gen Z respondents want to marry. The same survey reported that a quarter of singles aged 18 to 34 identify with traditional values regarding family, faith, and community. Lauren DeFord, director of brand marketing at Match, described the pivot as a brand shift intended to welcome people who share these goals but may not lead with a faith-first mindset.

The redesigned app uses a tiered subscription model and swipe mechanics similar to Tinder. New tools include Chivalry Mode, which encourages men to message first, and Marriage Timeline, which allows users to state when they hope to wed. Users can also add a Faith Statement to their profiles. The marketing campaign, titled Wanted: For Life, leans into Americana themes with Western-style imagery and the term chivalrymaxxing.

Experts question the premise. Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center on American Life, argues that Gen Z is entering adulthood with less clear relational priorities. He notes that a decline in social and civic life has created a hyperindividualistic culture. Cox points to a survey finding that 44 percent of Gen Z men had no relationship experience during their teen years, double the rate of older men. He views the traditional trend as a reaction to a lack of cultural norms, suggesting daters are desperate for a script.

Other data complicates the picture. A 2023 Pew Research study found only 23 percent of adults considered marriage extremely or very important to a fulfilling life. That number compares to 61 percent who said the same about close friendships. The share of high school seniors who expected to marry someday dropped from 80 percent in 1993 to 67 percent in 2023. Cox also noted that Match’s survey of 5,000 unmarried US singles is demographically representative, though he cautioned that age skew might affect results.

User experiences have been mixed. Adreanna Pulliam, a 25-year-old opera singer in Bloomington, Indiana, said she encountered users she described as MAGA types of men in the red-pill, trad wife, conservative values mold. She was confused by profile options like chubby body type and the ability for married people to join. Tauti, a social work student in California, quit the app within 48 hours. Heidi Marais, a teacher and single mom, questioned why agnostics are allowed on the platform.

Upward declined to share active user numbers. The app has faced complaints about functionality, filtering, and automatic bans since its debut. One App Store reviewer called it janky as hell. Pulliam thinks the app could find an audience within Christian private university communities but added that it works best for people with a closed mind.