Sexual identity and desire are shedding rigid labels faster than ever, according to Feeld Raw 2025, the dating app’s annual snapshot of how people explored intimacy over the past year. The report points to a cultural moment where curiosity isn’t whispered about, it’s logged, shared, and increasingly embraced.
Among the most striking findings: heteroflexible is now the fastest-growing sexuality on Feeld, rising 193% year over year. At the same time, interest in pegging among cis men jumped 200%, reflecting a broader shift toward pleasure-forward conversations that challenge traditional ideas of masculinity and sexual norms.
Rather than isolated trends, Feeld’s data suggests these shifts are part of a wider rethinking of how people define themselves and connect with others.
Sexual Identity Is Getting Looser By Design
The report shows that users are moving fluidly between identity labels, especially between “straight” and “heteroflexible.” Millennials currently lead this movement, though Gen Z is closing the gap at a rapid pace.
New York City recorded a 161% rise in bisexual identification, reinforcing a growing rejection of singular labels in favor of descriptions that evolve with experience.
Dr. Luke Brunning, a lecturer in applied ethics at the University of Leeds, says the numbers reflect something deeply human.
“Sexuality isn’t static,” Brunning said. “It would be far stranger if people never questioned attraction or curiosity across their lives.”
Pleasure Goes Public
Interest in sexual exploration is no longer confined to the margins. Feeld reports that toys ranked among the platform’s top three fastest-growing desires overall, climbing 400%. Pegging’s sharp rise among cis men stood out as a signal that pleasure is being reframed as mutual, rather than gendered.
Brunning notes that this shift reflects a growing understanding of intimacy as collaborative rather than performative.
“Toys are increasingly seen as tools for connection,” he said, “not as competition.”
What the World Is Into, City by City
Feeld’s global data adds geographic flavor to the findings, revealing patterns that are playful but telling:
- São Paulo leads four Brazilian cities topping the “vanilla” list
- Berlin ranks highest for heteroflexible users and open relationships
- Miami claims the pegging crown
- Boston tops edging
- San Francisco leads role play
- Mumbai earns the title of cuddling capital
- Portland and Seattle dominate sub/dom identity exploration
Gen Z Brings the Sweat
While intimacy evolves, Gen Z is pairing connection with movement. Sports-related interests accounted for eight of the cohort’s ten fastest-growing categories, including tennis, basketball, soccer, and fitness, with growth ranging from 300% to 600%.
The data suggests younger users are blending physical activity with social bonding, reframing dating as something that happens on courts and in gyms as often as on screens.
A Year That Redefined Connection
Dina Mohammad-Laity, Feeld’s vice president of data, says the platform’s insights reflect a year shaped by visibility and curiosity.
“From pop culture moments to viral conversations, people felt permission to explore,” she said. “We’re seeing connection become more honest, more playful, and less confined by old rules.”
As Feeld Raw 2025 makes clear, curiosity isn’t a phase. It’s becoming the baseline.
