What is reverse catfishing trend? Gen Z's latest move to pull genuine matches on dating apps

Gen Z’s new dating mantra is unconventional, underselling and keeping things casual to win genuine matches. Know more about this dating trend.

Traditional catfishing on dating apps has always been about pretending, looking cooler, richer, and more attractive than you really are. This is achieved through filters and digital edits, a cherry-picked and enhanced version of reality, spotlighting only the most flattering angles. Catfishing profiles are misleading, creating a version that doesn't exist.

Right swipe is no longer only about good looks now. (Shutterstock)

Gen Z, however, is turning the tide by doing the exact opposite. According to a survey conducted by dating app QuackQuack, 2 in 5 Gen Z users are engaging in reverse catfishing to attract genuine, emotionally intelligent connections.

What is reverse catfishing?

Reverse catfishing is about ditching the razzle-dazzle of dating apps, and bringing out the messy truth to figure out who's really in it for real. Most importantly, it shows a slow but steady pivot towards emotional intelligence by downplaying looks (by picking not so flattering pics) and unpolishing the bio (less flexing now.)

QuackQuack's founder and CEO, Ravi Mittal, commented, "Reverse Catfishing is still a very new trend. We think it's a love letter to emotional intelligence. Who, other than an emotionally sorted and extremely secure person, would dare to play it down on purpose? It shows that young daters are more interested in finding the right match than impressing the wrong one. They are looking for more than surface-level attractions, even if that means they have to let go of their 'Insta-worthy' lifestyle for that."

Biggest outcomes: Authentic and realistic expectations

Reverse catfishing ensures you find the right connection. (Shutterstock)

1. Being authentic

With so much of contemporary dating app culture being inherently performative, from 4-5 line bio where you have to fit to sum up your entire personality to the carefully curated set of photos designed to impress, sometimes being real is the last thing on mind.

But Gen Z, being Gen Z, is very on-brand with their unfiltered approach as the messy realness ‘humanises’ dating profiles.

Ravi Mittal noted, "For Gen Z, reverse catfishing is the new green flag. 28% of users from Tier 1, 2, and 3 said they are more attracted to users who look and talk like a real person. They revealed going for matches that don't have the perfect display picture and bios that look straight out of an AI chatbox. They also admitted showing up a little undone in their own profiles to make a statement that ‘this is me; take it or leave it.’ QuackQuack's data also shows that since March 2025, a silly couch selfie with more realistically written bios showed better match longevity even if the match rates were slightly lower."

2. Realistic expectations

Keeping things casual and less airbrushed leads to better in-person interactions, with less ghosting, because it sets the tone right from the get-go. This trend is helpful, keeping mismatched expectations away.

Ravi quoted the survey and shared how the trend is a ‘surprise upgrade’ for dating app users, "3 in 5 male users between 20 and 25 called reverse catfishing a clever yet non-toxic trick to wow their matches. It manages expectations during the online interaction, only to exceed them when things go offline. They called it the 'surprise upgrade' that not only helps them find someone who genuinely likes their humble version with all the under-promising, but also leads to over-delivering when the romance goes in real life.”

Reverse catfishing is a trend that is growing currently in the dating landscape, where honesty is being prioritised, cutting through the optical illusion of curated profiles.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice.