Apps are moving away from volume-led matching to deeper profiles, clearer relationship goals, and limited discovery to prioritise compatibility over casual engagement.
Platforms are introducing stronger verification, privacy-first features, and women-led interaction models to ensure trust and autonomy.
Swipe mechanics, gamification, and infinite scroll are being replaced with slower, more deliberate experiences that respect women’s time.
‘We Are Seeing A Decisive Shift In How Women Approach Dating’: Aisle’s Chandni Gaglani
Dating apps are rethinking their fundamentals as women demand safer, more intentional experiences. Chandni Gaglani, Head of Aisle Network, speaks to Jinit Parmar about how insights from women users have reshaped Aisle.
Summary
As women grow more vocal about what they want from dating apps, safety, clarity of intention, and freedom from endless swiping, platforms are being forced to rethink their fundamentals. Over the years, Aisle has closely tracked these changing expectations through user behaviour and research, and responded with deliberate shifts in product design and policy. Chandni Gaglani, Head of Aisle Network, speaks to Jinit Parmar about how insights from women users have reshaped Aisle into a high-intent dating platform built around control, compatibility, and commitment.
Q. What changes have you observed in women users over time, and how have those insights shaped Aisle’s product and policy decisions?
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a decisive shift in how women approach dating. They’re no longer willing to tolerate low-effort conversations, swipe fatigue, or platforms that drain their emotional energy. Our Commitment Decade study captures this clearly, 97 per cent of women across generations prioritise commitment over casual dating.
Behaviourally, this shows up in how women use dating apps today. They spend less time browsing, engage more intentionally, and disengage quickly when something feels misaligned. This insight has fundamentally shaped Aisle’s evolution. We’ve stripped away all forms of gamification—no swipes, no streaks, no addictive loops, and focused on building tools that respect women’s time and emotional bandwidth.
What specific product or policy changes has Aisle made to better reflect what women say they want from online dating?
Aisle’s positioning as a high-intent dating platform is deeply informed by women’s feedback. What we consistently hear is that women don’t want more matches, they want the right ones. In response, we’ve introduced detailed, depth-first profiles that go beyond photos to include faith, mother tongue, lifestyle choices, and long-term goals. These details help women assess real compatibility early. We’ve also made premium features free for verified women, giving them access to advanced filters, likes visibility, and sorting tools without financial friction.
Privacy and control are equally important. Features like Private Mode allow women to decide who can see them and who they want to engage with. This is reinforced by our rigorous two-step verification process, AI-led followed by human review, where only about 50 per cent of applicants are approved. The result is a healthier ecosystem, with women making up 25-30 per cent of our user base, far higher than casual dating apps.
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Burnout from endless swiping is a major concern for women. How has Aisle redesigned its experience to address this?
Aisle was intentionally built as an alternative to swipe-heavy dating culture. We don’t have swipes at all. Instead, users tap to like or pass, which requires conscious engagement with each profile and slows the entire experience down. For women especially, clarity and control are central. With Private Mode, advanced sorting and filtering, and free premium access, women can browse on their own terms and prioritise matches that genuinely align with their preferences. Combined with strict verification, this shifts dating away from burnout and towards meaningful interaction.
Safety and trust are critical for women on dating apps. What steps has Aisle taken beyond standard verification?
Safety at Aisle is foundational, not an add-on. Our two-step verification combines AI detection with human curation, filtering out fake profiles, bad actors, and low-intent users at the entry level itself. Beyond onboarding, the platform is designed to shift power dynamics. Women decide who they want to connect with and initiate most conversations, ensuring interactions happen on their terms. Verified women also receive free premium access, including visibility into likes and advanced lifestyle filters, so serious users aren’t held back by paywalls.
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How has Aisle adjusted its matching and discovery systems to prioritise emotional compatibility over engagement metrics?
Unlike swipe-led platforms, Aisle doesn’t optimise for time spent or endless scrolling. There’s no swipe mechanic and no gamification. The experience is designed to slow users down and encourage thoughtful consideration rather than impulsive decisions. Discovery is driven by compatibility, shared values, life goals, and cultural alignment, rather than volume. This allows women to focus on emotional fit and intent instead of being overwhelmed by choice.
Women increasingly value clarity of intention early on. How does Aisle encourage transparency, particularly from men?
Clarity of intention has always been central to Aisle’s DNA. We started the platform 11 years ago to make commitment accessible, more flexible than matrimony, but far more intentional than casual dating. Users are required to state their relationship goals upfront; casual dating isn’t even an option. Depth-driven profile fields around family background, lifestyle, and long-term plans signal seriousness early. Without swipe culture or gamified behaviour, volume-driven dating simply doesn’t work on Aisle, which naturally filters the community toward high intent.
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Choice overload is another reason women disengage. How has Aisle made dating more intentional?
Infinite choice kills decision-making and connection. While most apps treat “more profiles” as a feature, we see it as a problem. Aisle introduces intentional constraints, no swiping, a limited daily discovery feed, and a high barrier to entry through detailed applications and two-step verification. Only about half of applicants make it onto the platform. For those seeking deeper curation, our Concierge feature offers handpicked matches based on advanced preferences, all without endless scrolling.
Is the move toward high-intent dating platforms a broader trend, or a shift being led by women? Where does Aisle fit into this future?
It’s both. This shift is a response to swipe fatigue and a larger cultural move toward meaningful relationships, and women are leading it. Our research shows nearly 9 in 10 urban Indians prioritise serious relationships, with one in three millennials looking to marry within a year. Aisle exists to serve that future. By limiting choice, encouraging deliberate interaction, and combining technology with human judgement, we help people focus on quality over quantity. High-intent dating isn’t a niche anymore, it’s the natural evolution of dating in India.
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