Who says modern dating is all about profile pictures and perfectly written bios? For GenZ, connections are built over more meaningful markers and small efforts. According to a fresh survey by India’s most popular dating app, QuackQuack, 3 in 5 GenZ daters decide whether a connection stays shallow or steps into something real based on vulnerability level, response time, and more nuanced qualities.

The online survey was conducted among 8567 GenZ daters aged between 18 and 26 from Metros and mid-tier Indian cities. Participants are active users of dating apps for at least 3 months. QuackQuack’s Founder and CEO, Ravi Mittal, commented, “Dating is now much more than physical appearance or coming off sorted. It’s more meaningful and intentional. Especially when it comes to GenZ daters, they want to look deeper; today, even texting carries emotional weight: the tone, the pace, even how many emojis were used in a text matter. We are noticing that over the last year, small choices make a huge impact when it comes to GenZ dating style.”

Vulnerability is digital currency

41% of daters between 22 and 26 shared that they feel more comfortable interacting when a match shows honest vulnerability. 7 in 10 respondents said that while they don’t appreciate trauma dumping from the first chat, they are tired of emotional poker faces. Sharing about some quirky habit or admitting to having some flaw instantly makes a conversation more human and easy-flowing. It shows that the person is neither scared of being their authentic self nor will they expect their partner to act put-together at all times. Such conversations encourage a deeper connection from early on. Aisha (25) from Delhi said, “I don’t like mysterious people who give a ‘nobody knows me’ vibe. Those over-polished or mystery-types don’t work in today’s day and age. People want to meet real people.”

Response time equals emotional feedback

Over 33% of women and 25% of GenZ men from Tier 1 and 2 cities revealed that matches with inconsistent response time make them feel less valued. The timing matters just as much as the quality of interaction; if both are not aligned, it is often interpreted as love bombing. Respondents explained that while a fast reply does not immediately mean genuine interest, disappearing mid-conversation without explanation almost always translates to unreliability and disinterest. For GenZ, timing reads as intention. Abrupt or delayed replies without context trigger negative assumptions, even if the reason is innocent.