Dating Sunday Drives Annual Surge in App Activity For 2026
Dating apps experienced their busiest day of the year over the weekend, with January 4 once again marking “Dating Sunday” – a period when user activity spikes sharply across major platforms. The annual surge, which follows the New Year holiday period, reflects a renewed focus on relationships as users act on resolutions tied to dating and personal connection.
Data shared by Hinge shows that Dating Sunday continues to stand out as a key moment in the app calendar. According to the company, last year’s event delivered a 31.2 per cent increase in likes and a 24.5 per cent rise in messages compared with an average Sunday. Similar patterns were reported across other major dating platforms, which typically see heightened swiping, matching and messaging during the first weekend of January.
“Following the festive period, people have time to reflect on the year, including what worked, what didn’t, and what they want to change,” said Logan Ury, Hinge’s lead relationship scientist. “For many daters, this leads to a New Year’s resolution around dating and building new connections.”
While 2026’s Dating Sunday has just passed, platforms say the momentum often carries into the first full week of January. Hinge’s analysis suggests that evening hours remain the most active, with usage peaking after work. In the UK, the highest volume of likes typically occurs around 7pm, while messages and voice notes tend to peak later in the evening. Similar evening-driven patterns appear in the US, Canada and much of Europe, although some markets, including Spain and Italy, see higher engagement earlier in the day.
The data also highlights broader shifts in how users interact on dating apps. Voice notes, a relatively recent feature on several platforms, are becoming more common, with Hinge reporting that conversations involving voice notes are significantly more likely to progress to an in-person date. Profile updates are also concentrated around this period, as users refresh photos and prompts to align with new-year goals.
