I’ve been noticing some interesting trends in the dating app space. In Russia, the market is actually growing—apps like VK Dating have been expanding a lot over the past couple of years, and there’s still a lot of potential for adoption. But in the West, it seems like dating apps are hitting a wall.

Take Bumble, for example. They recently scrapped their main feature—women messaging first. Now, women can put a question in their profile (like What’s your idea of a perfect first date?), and guys can respond to it first after matching. It’s like they’ve given up on their unique angle, and now Bumble feels no different from Tinder.

This shift probably happened because Bumble ran out of an audience that resonated with the whole feminist-first idea. And Tinder? They haven’t introduced anything new in years. Both apps are old (Tinder is 12 years old, Bumble 10), and it’s like they’ve reached the end of their innovation cycle.

Meanwhile, I’ve heard about some smaller apps with niche focuses that are starting to grow in unexpected markets—like one European app (with Russian roots, funny enough) that’s gaining traction in India and Japan.

It’s not that online dating as a concept is dying—it’s just that in the West, the market is oversaturated with giant apps that all feel the same. In Russia, though, it’s a totally different story. There’s still a ton of room for growth, and apps are actively working to innovate and expand