It is assumed that astrology belonged almost entirely to the generation of our parents and grandparents. They would usually have birth charts prepared after a child turns one, and years later, it would be placed with those of potential matches before an astrologer with the intent of marriage. Families would wait as planetary positions and stars were studied, and futures interpreted. A favourable match would mean proceeding and an unfavourable one would end before the bride and groom even met.
For years, love matches positioned themselves as a break from the tradition of astrology. Couples who chose each other often dismissed the matching of horoscopes and checking of astrological compatibility as relics of an older generation. They believed that emotional connection, shared values, and chemistry mattered; not planetary alignments and calculations.
But today, the ritual looks different. The single Millennials and Gen Z who are looking to find love matches aren’t necessarily visiting astrologers. But zodiac signs have sneaked their way into modern day romance, through Instagram memes, late night conversations, and even dating apps.
Lines like, “He’s a Scorpio,” “She is a Libra,” “We are both fire signs, which means, this will either last forever or end terribly,” can be heard in conversations. Compatibility, therefore, is still being calculated, except, the language is casual and arguably even self-aware.
This has moved astrology to the talking stages of relationships that are budding on dating apps; making the stars somehow still important when it comes to choosing a partner.
For many youngsters today, the belief in astrology wasn’t forced or influenced by the beliefs of their families. It found a way to them, they say. For Sruthakeerthi (32), a marketing professional, reading zodiac signs and the traits listed for them became an easy way to start a conversation in school, and maybe, even make friends. “It started off as a cool thing I could do — reading traits listed down for zodiac signs — when I was in class seven or eight. Making friends was so difficult for me back then and this helped. It was a conversation starter and a way to build a bond,” she shares. Eventually, she became curious about astrology. Although she says that believing in a concept that generalises 1/12th of the world’s population to a list of traits can’t be real, Sruthakeerthi admits to believing that there is a lot of truth to it.
Madhava (32), a clinical psychology trainee, says that he trusted astrology more after noticing that “certain traits seem to recur for people belonging to the same zodiac sign.” Pavai M (27), a producer, too, admits to having noticed a recurring pattern after taking interest in astrology and following horoscope and zodiac sign pages on social media. “I wouldn’t call myself someone who blindly believes in astrology, but I do think it offers an interesting framework. It is less about predicting the future and more about understanding personality traits,” she says.
This belief, when possessed by men from a young age, is often laughed at because society tends to see it as something that does not sit with traditional expectations of masculinity. D Digvijay Prasad (26), who works in corporate, was introduced to astrology by his elder sister who is a firm believer. He says, “Astrology is very niche, at least in men. Oftentimes it’s made fun of. Rather, it should be viewed simply as information on how compatible you and the other person are.”
Celestially brokered
Many young singles on dating apps put out their zodiac signs, or birthdays which can reveal their zodiac. Recently, Tinder’s Year in Swipe 2025, reflected how zodiac signs are now commonly represented on people’s profiles. Their trends showed that Leo was the most commonly represented sign, followed closely by Scorpio, Libra, and so on.
This information in itself fills a certain gap that modern dating apps often miss, Pavai weighs in. “Dating apps today are extremely fast-paced and appearance-driven. Zodiacs add personality language to dating. It gives people conversation starters, and sometimes adds a sense of identity beyond just photos, prompts, or jobs. Even if someone doesn’t fully believe in it, it can still be a fun dating filter,” she says.
Sruthakeerthi gives this argument some merit. “Although the gap in dating apps itself isn’t something astrology can fill, I think all of us are trying to make sense of this madness and at some level maybe, keeping a filter like, ‘Oh he is an Aries man child, so it won’t work out’, might just help make sense out of it for people like me, who have been putting ourselves out there for many years now,” she reasons. Madhava adds, “It can help those who believe in it to feel more in control and make better decisions according to their schema.”
The schema that Madhava refers to, has been deployed by many women on dating apps and it even seems to help them take control of their decisions. Sruthakeerthi recollects seeing profiles of women who had put out a list of natchatrams (birth stars) that match theirs and clearly mentioning that if someone belonged to those natchatrams, they would be open to meet. She says that these women seem to have clarity on what their family would look into if they wanted to get into serious relationships that ended in marriage, and therefore, shares how this would probably even ease meeting and dating in general for them.
Some young singles even argue that having to read out zodiac or horoscopes details would be far better than reading bios on dating apps. Madhava rues, “Profile bios have been horrible, especially in recent years. People seem to be answering completely different prompts than the one they choose, and there is a lot of use of LLMs (Large Language Models which are AI systems) to answer prompts too. So I feel astrological insights might be more reliable at this point.” Pavai corroborates, adding that zodiac details could reflect more “honestly” as compared to dating bios that are “curated to sound witty and impressive.”
But there is a downside to this too. Sruthakeerthi reflects how she is often too quick to judge a person based on their zodiac, when mentioned on profile bios. “I do build up my set of pre-conceived notions based on what I know about specific zodiac signs. While I think that helps me sus people out [rule out people based on suspicions] faster on some level, I hate to admit that I feel like I am too quick to judge.” She therefore, confesses to trying her best to give people a fair shot by initiating conversations with them. If things don’t work out, there are always astrological insights that can be blamed in hindsight, she quips.
The key here, Pavai says, comes from balance. “If we reduce people to ‘Scorpio means toxic’ or ‘Gemini means manipulative,’ then we end up categorising them at large. The healthier approach is to simply use zodiac or astrology as an additional layer of self-expression by giving someone a fair chance and maybe then treating it as a metric to figure out compatibility. When used lightly and conversationally, it can make dating feel much more fun,” Pavai adds. In today’s exhausting dating app culture, having astro insights can add some excitement, Digvijay concludes.
Digital Cupid
Tapping into this trend, Tinder recently introduced an Astrology Mode. It requires interested users to first enter their date, place, and time of birth. The app then reveals their Sun Sign (which details core personality traits), Moon Sign (which details emotional tendencies), and Rising Sign (which details how others perceive them). Upon setting the stage for self-aware interactions, it lets users check their comparability with potential matches by comparing the three signs and providing interpretations on “Cosmic Sparks” which would show how they attract, emote, and communicate, and elaborate on their “Element Mix” which is their presumed zodiac dynamics.
‘App’solute guidelines
Dr Chandni Tugnait, Tinder India’s relationship expert, highlights the following tips for believers of astrology on dating apps and for the users of the Astrology Mode on Tinder
Aligned Zodiac Signs doesn’t always mean sustained connection
Use compatibility as a starting point, not the conclusion
Focus on what actually builds relationships
Find the balance without letting filters limit genuine connection