Key Takeaways

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We’re obviously talking about Dating Sunday, also known as the first Sunday of the year, also known as the busiest day for dating apps. On Dating Sunday, an influx of daters storm the apps with renewed hopes for a more romantic year. 

And in 2026, dating platforms have the opportunity to make a particularly strong impact on this most important of days. 

Last year, Hinge reported a record-breaking Dating Sunday turnout compared to average Sundays, with a 31.2% increase in likes and 24.5% increase in messages. 

Ahead of 2026, Hinge has released a Dating Sunday guide for daters — and by extension, dating platforms — to help them make the most of the annual event. 

The guide confirms that the evening hours are the busiest for online daters, with the height of messaging happening around 9 p.m. EST in the U.S. and 11 p.m. EST in Canada on Sundays. Hinge Labs’ Lead Relationship Scientist, Logan Ury (she/her), dispenses words of wisdom in the guide.  

Returning to Apps With Clear Intentions 

Ury suggests that Dating Sunday is a prime time to narrow one’s dating goals and set clear intentions. The importance of intentionality shouldn’t come as a surprise to dating pros; clarity and straightforward communication were defining trends in the dating world in 2025. 

In fact, Hinge found that 83% of millennial and 75% of Gen Z Hinge daters try to check people’s dating intentions before they like their profile. 

Ury encourages daters to revisit their profiles, edit for clarity and personality, and refine their dating goals. Of course, these daters would benefit from intuitive, AI-enhanced features that make intentions easier to put into words. 

After all, figuring out what you want, and then actively going after it, can be an overwhelming experience. Intention-setting features must be accessible, intuitive, and low-pressure to be effective.

Hinge found that 83% of millennial and 75% of Gen Z Hinge daters try to check people’s dating intentions before they like their profile.

Playing coy gets old, especially when daters crave efficiency. “Clarity is more attractive than ambiguity,” Ury reminds users in Hinge’s Dating Sunday guide. 

Modern daters want their dating platforms to help them express their feelings, their dating goals, and yes, their intentions, as clearly as possible — all while preserving their personality. 

Much like today’s daters, platforms are also trying to strike the right balance between AI-enhanced and AI-dependent. Ury emphasized the importance of “explain[ing] your dating goals in your own words,” without using AI as a crutch or, worse, as a substitute for original thought. 

Time for Daters and Apps to Reaffirm Their Bond

Dating Sunday is about giving daters the confidence to do more than simply “like” someone’s profile. Goodbye, weary singles with an axe to grind! Hello, refreshed singles with newfound faith in themselves and in their app of choice. 

This newfound faith is a result of apps listening to daters’ communication needs and responding in kind. 

On many dating apps, including Hinge, direct communication is one of the most effective ways to establish connections. “Comments are twice as likely to lead to a date than just sending a like,” Ury confirmed. 

Platforms know how important it is for users to engage with the algorithm or the app, but users aren’t always in the know. On this Dating Sunday, platforms can reaffirm the bond between a dater and their chosen dating app. 

Direct communication is one of the most effective ways to establish connections on dating apps.

Ury’s advice to daters is particularly fitting here: “Go after what you want and help Hinge learn your type by sending likes.” 

This is not just about feeding an algorithm, but about nurturing the connection between the user and the platform itself. Neither can exist without the other. 

Swiping doesn’t cut it anymore. Users have to take the time to interact with other users, send messages, and perfect their profiles if they want to find matches that truly spark excitement. 

She also confirmed that Voice Notes were 41% more likely to lead to a date in 2025 than the tried-and-true “swipe and message” strategy. It seems singles respond positively to non-traditional communication options on dating apps. ikjj

Distinguishing Between Pet Peeves and Dealbreakers 

Of the challenges that come with online dating, communication — or a lack thereof — may be the one dating platforms have the best shot at addressing on Dating Sunday. 

Ury makes it clear that daters often have trouble distinguishing between minor pet peeves and relationship dealbreakers, particularly in an online setting. 

Platforms can address this challenge head-on with straightforward prompts that challenge daters to think deeply about their needs, expectations, and goals. 

Some apps use an AI chatbot to help daters figure out what they want (Grindr, for example, has been beta-testing an AI wingman for over a year). Others use different forms of AI tech to analyze profiles and suggest improvements, allowing daters to start the new year off on a new foot. 

Daters often have trouble distinguishing between minor pet peeves and relationship dealbreakers, particularly in an online setting. 

With this in mind, Ury didn’t hesitate to mention the benefits of Hinge’s Prompt Feedback tool: “You can see advice tailored just to you to help you open up about the things that matter to you,” she said in the guide. 

Hinge emphasizes the importance of dating app tools that not only make dating easier, but more enlightening — tools that teach the user about who they are, what they want, and what they need. 

This is why Ury advises daters to “double down on your true dealbreakers, and try staying open-minded on the rest.” These are wise words for platforms, too, as they attempt to address communication, AI balance, and other dating challenges in 2026.