A Dating App Is Offering ‘Chivalry Mode’ and ‘Marriage Timeline’ to Get Gen Z Married
Match Group has relaunched Upward, shifting it from a dating app aimed exclusively at Christians towards Gen Z singles seeking commitment. The move reflects survey findings that many young people want marriage, while dating companies face declining engagement and are rethinking how to attract users.
The app still uses swipe-based profiles and invites users to share a faith statement, but now offers Chivalry Mode, which encourages men to message first, and Marriage Timeline, where users can state when they hope to marry. Match Group’s 2026 Singles in America study found 72 per cent of Gen Z respondents wanted to marry, and a quarter of singles aged 18 to 34 identified with a mix of traditional family, faith and community values. However, researcher Daniel Cox argues that fewer Gen Z people are forming relationships: one survey found 44 per cent of Gen Z men had no relationship experience during their teenage years.
In short
- Match Group has broadened Upward beyond Christian daters.
- New features focus on courtship and marriage plans.
- Researchers caution that Gen Z is coupling up less.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters could argue that Upward is responding to young people who want committed relationships by making intentions clearer from the outset. Features such as a marriage timeline and prompts to message first may help users find compatible partners, while leaving room for faith and personal choice.
The case against
Critics could argue that features framed around chivalry and marriage risk reinforcing narrow gender roles and putting pressure on users to follow a traditional timetable. They may also question whether app design can address the wider social and economic reasons young people are forming fewer relationships, or whether it mainly repackages commitment as a way to boost engagement.