- New Year’s Day has replaced Jan 2nd as the day many start fresh search for love
- Online dating apps now have more sign-ups on January 1st than any other day
- Surge in the hunt for love is sparked by a double whammy of a bank holiday day off and a rise in easy-to-use phone dating apps such as Tinder, Happn and Match
- Around 11pm tonight is expected to be peak ‘swipe’ time with singletons logging on in their millions
Forget hunkering down with a hangover and a box set, if you’re single New Year’s Day is all about looking for love – with today expected to see the largest number of sign-ups ever to online dating apps.
Perhaps inspired by the doe-eyed engagement photographs of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, millions are expected to start the search for a 2018 love match.
According to new research, the first of January has replaced January 2nd as the day day single people are most likely to sign up for an online dating app.
New date, new dates! Singletons are expected to log on in their millions tonight as online dating apps see the biggest surge ever in new registrations
According to internet dating site, Match.com, around 235,000 people will send messages to potential new love matches today.
With the majority of the nation off work for the bank holiday, it seems the desire for romance is heightened by the fresh start that a new year promises.
That, coupled with easier technology – meeting someone with a few swipes on your phone from the comfort of your sofa – has led to an unprecedented surge of interest in dating apps such as Tinder, Match and Happn.
Online cupid: The rise of easy-to-use phone apps coupled with a bank holiday sees tonight at 11pm expected to be the biggest time for swiping left or right
Traditionally the early year dating season is delayed until people get back to their work computers on January 2nd.
However, Match explains there’s been a shift in recent years as people increasingly download apps on their smartphones and look for love in more comfortable surrounds.
Dating expert for Match, Vicki Pavitt, says: ‘People want a fresh start and January is the perfect time of year to wipe the slate clean and try something new.
‘Once all of the fun of New Year’s Eve weekend dies down and the Christmas festivities are over, January is the time many Brits embrace a new beginning and get back into the dating game.’
She adds: ‘Pressure from family members during the holidays or wishing they had someone to spend the holidays with often encourages people too.’