Dating apps promised to make finding love easier. Instead, for millions of users, they have turned dating into a boring swiping game. A Forbes Health survey published in July 2025 found that 78% of dating app users feel mentally, emotionally, or physically drained by the experience. Gen Z and Millennials bear the brunt: 72% and 77%, respectively, report burnout. A separate Tawkify study from June 2025 revealed that the average user swipes through 58 profiles before landing a single meaningful conversation.
For plus-size singles, dating app fatigue can feel even more acute. Endless swiping often means navigating not only the usual cycle of low-effort matches and stalled conversations, but also the added pressure of being judged too quickly by photos, filtered through narrow beauty standards, or reduced to a body type before a real conversation begins. Because we built WooPlus for plus-size singles, we have seen how this dynamic can make online dating feel more exhausting, less personal, and less safe.
Curvy Cupid
Curvy Cupid is our pilot LIVE speed-dating series, designed to move beyond the swipe treadmill. Our format leaves behind the core mechanics of swipe culture: no infinite profile carousels, no match queues to burn through, and no gamified approval gestures. Instead, 20–30 vetted WooPlus members meet in a moderated LIVE chat room for a series of eight-minute conversations. We typically hold sessions in the evening. Participants submit preference cards after each round, and we notify mutual matches within 24 hours.
Across our first three sessions on TikTok and Zoom, the early results were encouraging. Among 100 participants:
- 74% said Curvy Cupid felt significantly less stressful than swipe-based dating.
- 71% of men and 61% of women said they would attend organized video dates.
- 68% said live conversations revealed personality traits they might have missed in a conventional dating profile.
“We saw women actively screening candidates rather than waiting to be chosen. We also saw very few instances of harassment during the moderated sessions. In future sessions, we’ll focus on improving the participant experience and building a more structured approach to event planning and hosting. When someone is speaking directly with you and a moderator is only a screen away, the dynamic shifts entirely.”
— Jimmy Sun, Head of Marketing at WooPlus
Maya T., a participant and graphic designer from Chicago, told us that people had called her “brave” for posting full-body photos on mainstream apps: “At Curvy Cupid, nobody used that word once. We just talked about work, travel, and whether dogs are better than cats. It felt normal. It felt safe.”
David R., a participant and software engineer from Los Angeles, told us he had used four dating apps for more than two years without a single in-person date: “I matched with someone at the event, and we have been on three dates since. The difference is that we already knew we could hold a conversation before we ever opened a chat window.”
A Rejection of Swipe Culture
We see these stories as part of a broader shift away from swipe culture—not away from online dating itself. Across the industry, interest in matchmaking, singles mixers, and speed-dating events appears to be growing. Tinder has also announced in-person dating events and introduced Chemistry, an AI feature built around a smaller number of curated introductions.
After a decade in which much of online dating came to resemble a gamified feed, we’re making a quiet but meaningful bet: people are not products to be queued, sorted, and discarded. We believe the next chapter of dating will not be defined by a thumb on glass.
An Experiment, Not a Victory Lap
We want to be candid: Curvy Cupid remains an experiment.
“We’re not claiming to have cracked the code. This is a hypothesis we’re testing with real people and real data. If Curvy Cupid doesn’t work, we’ll share what we learned and try the next thing. Either way, we don’t believe a swipe-only model is enough.”
– Jimmy
WooPlus plans to expand the pilot with additional U.S.-based LIVE dating sessions through the remainder of 2026, tracking each session systematically as we learn and improve.
About WooPlus
We built WooPlus for plus-size singles and people who appreciate them. Our app has grown into a global community of more than 12 million users and has received more than 127,000 reviews across Google Play and the App Store. Our work has been covered by media outlets including the BBC, Forbes, and People. Through our app and community initiatives, we’re working to make online dating feel more respectful, inclusive, and comfortable for plus-size singles.
For press inquiries, event dates, or more information about Curvy Cupid, contact press@wooplus.com.