Upward, Match Group’s Christian dating app, is broadening its focus to Gen Z singles seeking marriage and traditional values, even as its users encounter a wide range of political views and unusual profiles. The relaunch reflects broader changes in the dating industry, where declining engagement and the rise of artificial intelligence are pushing apps to reconsider their original identities and strategies for growth.
Unexpected profiles on Upward
When Adriana Pulliam signed up for Upward over the summer, she expected to encounter men who identified as extremely conservative.
She was therefore surprised to swipe past a profile whose owner cited “progressive donkeys or ‘Trump is King’ elephants” as the reason for their romantic relationships. “I wasn’t expecting to meet a moderate liberal” on the app, she says.
The profiles became even more unusual. One man promoted his Snapchat account with the username “Yaboi Blaze realsexgod.” Another date had attached a photo of himself standing in front of a poster-sized photograph of a deceased person at that person’s funeral, for reasons Pulliam says she still does not understand.
Pulliam was nervous about using the app but wanted to see how Upward, one of the lesser-known services in Match Group’s extensive dating portfolio, compared with Hinge and Tinder. She said she had not had much success with either of those apps. On Upward, many of the profiles she encountered belonged to what she described as “MAGA-type men” who fit the “red pill, traditional wives, conservative values” category of dating culture.
Pulliam, a 25-year-old opera singer from Bloomington, Indiana, has always considered marriage her “end goal.” She represents the type of user Upward has sought to attract since its relaunch last month.
Upward’s new focus
The relaunch was built around two findings from Match Group’s 2026 American Singles Survey: 72 percent of Gen Z respondents want to get married, while one-quarter of singles ages 18 to 34 “identify with a combination of traditional values centered around family, faith, and community.” Match Group highlighted the research in a news release about the changes.
Upward is moving away from its identity as an app exclusively for Christian daters. Its new approach is intended to include people who “share the same goals but may not be able to operate from a faith-first mindset,” Loren Deford, Match’s brand marketing director, says of the app’s focus on Gen Z singles.
The app still operates on a tiered subscription model and functions similarly to Tinder. Users can swipe left or right on profiles, and Upward encourages them to include a statement of faith explaining what they value most about their relationship with God.
New tools for courtship
Some of the new features resemble tools once associated with Bumble. A “chivalry mode” encourages men to send the first message, while a marriage timeline allows users to share when they hope to marry a potential partner.
Upward’s expansion reflects a wider shift in the dating market. As engagement declines and artificial intelligence enters the industry, dating companies are reassessing how to attract and retain users. For some apps, that process includes moving beyond the purpose and audience they originally served.
Source: www.wired.com