At SXSW London, Hinge CMO and president Jackie Jantos shared new insights into how the dating app is adapting to meet the needs of Gen Z—a generation increasingly disillusioned with the digital dating scene. From ghosting to costly subscriptions, many users are reporting frustration with the current state of online dating, especially in major urban centers.
Speaking with TechCrunch, Jantos emphasized that Gen Z expects transparency, inclusion, and authenticity from digital platforms. “If you’re not building with inclusion at the center of everything, you’re just not going to build a meaningful product or marketing activation to engage them,” she said.
To better serve this audience, Hinge is experimenting with several new features. Among them is a cap on the number of chats users can maintain at once, aimed at encouraging more focused and intentional conversations. “We want to encourage people to close out chats if you’re not interested in someone,” Jantos explained – a change that would remove the “spam generic messages at each possible match until somebody replies” factor that is prevalent on many dating platforms.
The company is also trialing profile coaching tools and preparing to roll out “Warm Introductions,” a feature that highlights shared interests to improve match quality. A recently implemented AI recommender system has already led to a 15% uptick in matches and contact exchanges, according to Match Group’s Q1 2025 report.
