YouGov Study: Dating App Phone Calls & First Moves

Leading research organisation YouGov has released two new dating-related polls. The research explores whether British adults prefer to speak with a match over the phone before meeting, and whether they prefer to make the first move.

Communication before the date

Almost 5000 adults in Great Britain were asked the question: “If you had met someone on a dating app and had so far only communicated with them via text or instant message, would you prefer to speak to them on the phone before meeting in person, or not?”.

56% of respondents said that they would prefer to speak on the phone before meeting this match in person. 18% said they would not prefer it, and 26% said they didn’t know.These opinions were split fairly evenly between men and women. 

When it comes to age, things look a little different:

All the age demographics were represented amongst those open to a phone call, with the option being most popular among those aged 50 and above. However, younger people were much more likely to not want a phone call, when compared with older generations. This could suggest a generational difference, where younger people are less comfortable with conversations over the phone.

Who makes the first move?

YouGov put forward a question to 4973 British adults about their preferences for who should make the first move. The responses showed that significantly more people prefer when someone else makes the first move.

Slightly more men prefer for the other person to make the first move, rather than making the first move themselves. This is similarly reflected amongst women, but with a much greater preference for the other person to make the first move.

When it comes to age, 18-24 year olds are the most likely to prefer that someone else makes the first move. Amongst all the respondents, 39% said they don’t know which they prefer.