Lauren DeFord: Match Group widens Upward's appeal beyond Christian singles to 72% of Gen Z

For young adults prioritizing traditional relationship milestones, the landscape of digital dating has shifted. Match Group relaunched Upward last month, moving the platform away from its 2020 origins as an app exclusively for Christian daters. The new version targets any young single person who values traditional norms, regardless of whether faith is their primary identifier.

The strategic pivot rests on data from Match Group's 2026 Singles in America study. The survey found that 72 percent of Gen Z respondents want to get married. Additionally, one in four singles aged 18 to 34 identify with a mix of traditional values regarding family, faith, and community. Match Group described the survey of 5,000 unmarried US singles as demographically representative of the Census.

Lauren DeFord, director of brand marketing at Match, explained the shift as a move to welcome people who share marriage goals without leading with a faith-first mindset. She noted that Christian singles remain central to the app's mission, but the relaunch marks a brand shift to a wider audience.

The updated interface functions similarly to Tinder, using left and right swipes, but adds specific tools to guide courtship. Chivalry Mode encourages men to send the first message, mirroring the older format of Bumble. A new Marriage Timeline feature allows users to state their desired wedding date to potential matches. Users are also prompted to add a Faith Statement describing their values, even if the app is no longer strictly faith-based.

The promotional campaign leans into retro Americana themes. The "Wanted: For Life" initiative uses Western-style imagery to frame the app as a home for modern courtship. One video features a man in a cowboy hat carrying flowers through a meadow, with on-screen text reading "chivalrymaxxing." The company aims to provide a clear script for dating in what critics say is a norm-less environment.

Experts offer a mixed view of the trend. Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center on American Life, argues that Gen Z enters adulthood with less clarity on relational priorities. He suggests the surge in traditional dating is a reaction to a lack of cultural norms, though he believes the trad version is not ideal for all young people. Cox also notes that the 72 percent marriage statistic may be skewed by age, as older generations have already navigated marriage.

Early user reactions have been divided. Adreanna Pulliam, a 25-year-old opera singer in Bloomington, Indiana, stated that marriage is her end goal. However, she reported encountering users with conservative political views and unusual profile choices, such as photos taken at funerals. She criticized the app for allowing married people and those with "it's complicated" status to join. Tauti, a social work student in California, quit the platform within 48 hours, saying the experience turned her off from Christian dating. Heidi Marais, a teacher and single mom, questioned the inclusion of agnostics on the platform.

Upward has not disclosed its active user numbers. The app has faced ongoing complaints since its debut regarding functionality, filtering, and automatic bans. One App Store reviewer described the platform as "janky as hell." Pulliam believes the app could find a foothold within communities of Christian private universities, but she added that it may only work for users with a somewhat closed mind.