Remember when meeting someone meant making eye contact across a crowded room? Maybe a friend introduced us. Maybe we struck up a conversation at a party. Or, maybe we kept running into the same cutie at our favorite coffee shop.

Then, dating apps came along, and meeting someone became a matter of swiping through photographs and deciding whether their profile was worth a conversation. Turns out, the old-fashioned way of meeting people is making a comeback. And, judging by the latest research, people are getting creative about where they’re finding romance.

Singles Are Getting Tired of Swiping

Dating apps aren't disappearing, but some people are ready for a change. A 2026 study of online dating found that 37% of American adults have tried a dating app or website, although only 6% were currently using one.

Dating app burnout is becoming a familiar problem. There's only so much enthusiasm we can muster for another conversation that begins with "Hey" and ends three messages later. What if there were other ways to meet someone new?

Trivia Nights Might Be the New Dating Apps

Forget awkward singles mixers where everybody stands around holding a drink. People are meeting through activities they already enjoy.

Eventbrite's 2026 research found that events that specifically promote opportunities to meet new people are on the rise. Among the events that combine hobbies with invitations to meet others, trivia nights saw a 403% increase in event listings and a 388% increase in attendance. Those are some pretty strong numbers. Mahjong gatherings are gaining traction, too. Their attendance rates are climbing by 272%.

Of course, the opportunities aren't limited to games. People are showing up for craft nights, birdwatching walks, and other gatherings where meeting someone happens while we're busy doing something we already enjoy. Which is rather nice, really. Even if nobody catches our eye, we might still leave knowing how to play mahjong.

Even Dating Apps Are Getting Involved

Here's an interesting twist. Some of the apps that made online dating popular are now helping people meet offline.

Tinder introduced an Events feature earlier this year, allowing users to discover opportunities to meet people in person. Bumble has also been exploring ways to make the transition from matching online to meeting face-to-face easier. And, according to a recent report from Fortune, dating apps are experimenting with everything from pickleball to trivia nights.

Sometimes Chemistry Needs a Conversation

There's another interesting finding behind this return to real-life romance. Match's 2026 Singles in America study surveyed about 5,000 American singles. Researchers found that nearly half had developed romantic feelings for someone they weren't initially attracted to.

Conversation, shared interests, and getting to know someone's personality can change how attractive we find them. That's something a photograph and a three-sentence dating profile can't capture.

Maybe the Meet-Cute Isn't Gone After All

None of this means we need to delete every dating app on our phones. Plenty of relationships still begin online, and there's nothing wrong with that. But, it's kind of nice to see people making room for the possibility of meeting someone while they're out enjoying themselves.

Join a club. Go to trivia. Take that cooking class you've been thinking about. You might meet somebody wonderful. And, if you don't, at least you'll have learned how to bake an Irish scone.

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