How Does Hinge Work? 2023 Expert's Guide

If you’ve been on dating apps or dating sites and have tried your luck but not yet found a good match, then let us introduce you to Hinge.

Similar in concept to some of the other apps you’ll have seen out there, nonetheless Hinge is a little different from, say, Bumble or Tinder.

If you’re curious about starting an account on Hinge, then this guide’s for you! We’ll cover:

What Hinge is

How it’s unique

How you can get started with Hinge

How Hinge’s features work

What a good Hinge profile consists of

A guide to Hinge Prompts

What Hinge deal breakers are

How to get Matches on Hinge and why you may not be getting any

How you can hack the Hinge algorithm

What the male to female ratio looks like

Whether or not you can use Hinge without a Facebook account

How many likes guys tend to get

Frequently asked questions.

Ready to get started with all things Hinge? Let’s dive right in!

What is Hinge?

Hinge is an app-based dating service, similar to Tinder or Bumble. You can download it from whichever app store you use for your mobile device.

When you sign up, you can browse (no swiping here!) through other members’ profiles and Like (or heart) their profile pictures or responses to Prompts, by using the heart icon. If the other person then Likes you back, you can start messaging them and hopefully begin a conversation!

Conversations are key on Hinge, as they consider themselves to be a “relationship app”, rather than just another dating app.

Hinge is part of the Match group, who also own other dating apps, such as Tinder, OKCupid, and Plenty of Fish.

What is Unique About Hinge?

If you’ve been struggling connecting with people on other dating apps, Hinge could be a good option for you.

Unlike other services (like Tinder), which have a reputation for being a “hookup app”, with Hinge they encourage users to create profiles which are more for finding a long term partner.

Rather than focusing on men or women who may be looking for something a little more casual, Hinge uses location services to bring together users who are looking for something a little more serious in their relationships.

Perhaps people who have family plans and want to find someone who aligns with their life criteria in their beliefs, plans for kids, and more! On this platform there’s more of an emphasis on your personality, finding mutual interests and common ground.

Additionally, instead of Liking the whole profile, you Like elements of it — ie, the images or prompts — and then if they Like you back you can use this for your conversation starters! It’s a much more personal idea, which could give you a chance to connect with someone over anything on their profile!

Hinge’s Core Beliefs Make It Different From Other Dating Apps

Hinge has a very simple slogan: “designed to be deleted”.

But what does that mean?

Well, one of the core beliefs at Hinge is that they focus on finding relationships for their users.

In other words, the hope is that through the dating app you’ll make meaningful connections, meet someone who shares your values, and Hinge will be “the last app you’ll ever need”!

A bit different from other dating apps, isn’t it?

How to Get Started with Hinge

Starting your Hinge membership and the sign-up process is easy — let’s go through it step by step!

Download the App

The first step is to head to either the App Store or the Google Play store, search for Hinge, and download it to your device.

Create Your Hinge Profile

Next, you’ll need to create your account. You can use either your mobile number or your Facebook account to set it up. While you can’t use Hinge on your computer yet (officially), it will work on any mobile device.

Next, fill in some basic info and details. This will include information such as your gender, education, height, what you do for work, etc. You also, crucially, need to set your location, in order to increase the chances that you’ll be Matched with someone locally to you.

You’ll have to make sure that you upload at least six photos (or videos) onto your profile.

Hinge is pretty specific about this because it shows others what you look like in greater context, gives people more opportunity to get to know you, and also helps prevent issues like catfishing!

You’ll also need to post three prompt responses. These could also be video prompts, if you so desire! And don’t worry — you can always change all of this in your settings later, if you aren’t happy!

While you can simply pull your photos from Facebook (if you’ve connected it to your account), our top recommendation would be uploading great images to start! That’s how you really level up your profile, and how you can achieve success on the app!

And if you don’t know where to start, then that’s where booking a shoot with The Match Artist can help. We’re experts when it comes to taking awesome photos for your dating profile, that will get you more messages and dates!

It really is that simple!

Set Your Match Preferences

Finally, once you’ve set up the basics of your profile, it’s time to set your preferences for other people. This is where you can really hone in on your type, and Hinge will work its algorithm magic to Match you with those people.

You’ll be asked things such as:

Your political views

Stance on drugs and smoking

Preferences for:
- Age range
- Height
- Religion
- Ethnicity
- Children.

You can choose to hide all of this from displaying on your profile, too.

All of the choices you make in this section will be key to how you’re Matched with other users, so be sure to consider carefully and make sure you choose the right ones for you!

How Does Hinge Work: Features & Matching

Hinge is a pretty easy app to get your head around. Much like other dating apps, you have the ability to sync additional social media, such as Instagram and Facebook, and all of its features make sense.

We’re going to let you in on a little secret, too: you can actually have multiple Hinge accounts, as long as you use a different log-in to get online (ie, a different phone number or different Facebook account).

However, unless for some reason you're having problems accessing your original Hinge account, you shouldn’t use multiple accounts to Match with other users. Not only can it be confusing, if you get caught, you could find yourself kicked off the app. So use this knowledge wisely!

The Hinge Algorithm

The Hinge algorithm works very similarly to other dating apps.

Based on the information you set in your preferences and your location, you’ll be shown a variety of profiles on your device’s screen. Then, depending on how you react to those profiles, the algorithm will continue to refine profiles for you to review.

In order to Match with another person, once you’ve Liked something on their profile or provided an answer to one of their Prompts, they’ll receive a notification. If they then do the same on your profile, you’ll be able to either reply, remove, or Match, which means you can then message each other.

The Hinge algorithm is supposed to be so fine-tuned that they claim you’ll get a second date three out of four times.

Those are pretty good odds!

Hinge Discover Feed

The Discover feed is very similar to your experience of any other dating app. You’ll be shown a series of profiles which you can swipe through, read their bio information, prompts, and photos.

The main difference is that instead of liking the whole profile, you’ll instead be able to Like individual parts. Clicking the Like icon (the red heart) will let the other user know, and you can also provide answers to any of their Prompts. As a free user, you’ll have 10 Likes per day.

You can also choose to add a comment to any of your Likes, which (according to Hinge) can increase your chances of making a Match threefold! A pretty good reason to make sure you add a few words to interest the other person along with your Like!

If you’re not interested in the profile that’s shown to you, simply click the ‘X’ to skip.

If, on the rare occasion, you need to block someone or report their profile, you can do so by clicking the three dots at the top right-hand corner of the screen.

You can access the Discover feed by clicking the ‘H’ icon at the bottom of your screen.

Hinge Roses Feature

Roses are a relatively new feature on Hinge. If you’ve used Tinder before and are familiar with the ‘Super Like’ feature, then Roses are basically the same. It’s a way for you to be able to let the other person know that you’re very interested in Matching with them.

Sending a Rose will move you to the top of the other person’s ‘Likes You’ display, which will mean that the other person will definitely see your profile. From there, it’s just a case of making sure that you’ve completely optimized it so that they potentially Like you back!

While you’ll get one free Rose per week, you can buy additional Roses for a price. It’s also helpful to know that Preferred Members don’t get any additional free Roses in comparison with free accounts, so you won’t be struggling and having to play games in order to stand out!

Hinge Standouts Feed

Speaking of standing out, the Standouts feed is exactly where you’ll see a list of other users that the Hinge algorithm has determined are most likely to be compatible with you.

It’s all to do with the answers they gave to their Prompts as well as your preferences, and if you tap on the Prompt, you’ll be taken to their profile. There you can browse through their photos and other Prompts, and decide whether or not you’re interested.

You should note that you can only send Roses to standouts, making it extra important to use your free Rose carefully! And there’s no guarantee that you’ll see the same profile again (though they can very occasionally show up in your Discover feed).

You can access the Standouts feed by clicking the star icon at the bottom of your screen.

Hinge Likes You Feed

The Likes You feed is where you’ll be able to see all of the activity relating to other users’ who have Liked elements of your profile.

Now, while there’s no time limit on replying, unfortunately, with the free version of Hinge, you’ll only be able to see the top result. All others will be blurred out.

So, if you haven’t upgraded your Hinge account, be sure to check out and respond to the other profile (if desired) before it’s too late!

You can access the Likes You feed by clicking the heart icon at the bottom of your screen.

Hinge Video Chat Prompts

While you can upload video prompts to your Hinge profile, you can also video chat with other users from within the app. When you do, your video icon will be in the top left-hand side of the screen, while the other person will take up the rest of your screen, and you’ll also be able to see a Prompt icon.

When you video chat, you’ll have the option to work through a series of five Prompts during your conversation. If you click on the Video Prompt icon, you’ll be “in control” of the conversation, and can choose from one of eight different themes and move through the Prompt cards as you choose.

Hinge Filters

The free version of Hinge only allows you to filter through other users’ according to incredibly basic info. This includes:

Height

Location

Gender

Age.

Hinge+ Filters

Hinge+ gives you access to advanced filtering. This is where you can actually set preferences for religion, ethnicity, height, future family plans, etc.

For this reason (plus a few others), Hinge+ is a much better version of Hinge. Especially if you’re really trying to meet someone who Matches your ideal partner.

Hinge’s “Most Compatible” Feature

While the Standouts feed shows you people who you may Match with according to their answers, the Most Compatible feature in the Discover feed are people that the Hinge algorithm has determined will be — well — most compatible with you!

In fact, this feature (which is relatively new) is supposed to be so successful, that you’re eight times more likely to go on a date following a Match with one of the people in your Most Compatible selection.

That’s a huge difference!

According to user reviews, however, Most Compatible can be a little bit hit or miss. Our best advice? Make sure that you put your best foot forward when it comes to building your profile — that way, if you truly are compatible, the other person will be more likely to see it, too!

If available, Hinge will show you at least one Most Compatible Match daily.

Who Uses Hinge?

There are roughly 23 million people using Hinge, of whom roughly 1 million are paid users. Most of these users are based in the U.S.

The general demographic tends to be Gen Z and Millennial, as Hinge is one of the newer apps on the market. There also tends to be more of a skew towards those identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community on dating apps in general, as opposed to cisgender heterosexual users.

Most Hinge users are also looking for the opportunity to meet others who want to be in a serious relationship, rather than casual.

Is Hinge for Serious Dating?

Most users on Hinge are there because they’re looking to upgrade their relationship status!

Especially as Hinge has marketed itself as “designed to be deleted”, the perception of the app is that they should be the last dating app you’ll ever need.

Is Hinge for Hookups?

While it is still possible to use Hinge for hookups, it’s not really the angle the app is going for. That’s why they focus so heavily on Likes and comments, as well as Prompts.

The idea is to get to know the other person well so that you can actually initiate a date, which could potentially lead to a relationship.

But, of course, we’re not going to tell you what to use your dating app for! If you’re looking for hookups, Tinder may be a better app Match for you.

What Does a Good Hinge Profile Look Like?

While building a good Hinge profile may seem akin to climbing Mount Everest, we promise it’s really not all that hard! You just need to put some time into it.

Here’s what you need to know according to Logan Ury, Hinge’s Director of Relationship Science.

Your Photos Are Key

As if you didn’t already know, but having good photos that are clear, high-quality, and show you in your best light are going to get you the most success!

Your first image should be a clear headshot, ideally looking directly into the camera, and smiling. Psychologically, having open body language signals to another person that you’re inviting and trustworthy. That’ll make it more likely that they’ll want to connect with you.

You’ll need to upload at least six photos, as per Hinge’s requirements, so make sure that there’s a good variety of images in there.

Try to avoid photos with too many other people in it (you don’t want to make your potential Match have to work to figure out who you are, or compare you to others!), over-filtered images, wearing sunglasses or hats, selfies (especially gym selfies), or photos with other women (big yikes!).

However, do include photos that show you doing things you love (eg, playing a team sport, or out hiking), photos with animals are a big plus, or even hanging out in your hometown with your family!

The important thing is to have a good mix, and use both close-ups and full-body shots.

Struggling to take photos yourself, or don’t have access to a good-quality camera? Why not get in touch with The Match Artist? Not only can we do it all for you, we specialize in facial expression coaching, which will help you look your best in all of your images.

Especially with your all-important first close-up photo, your facial expression is really going to be what draws someone in. To absolutely nail it, we can take you through all of our tips and techniques for how to look stoic, lively, sexy, relaxed, or anything else you can think of!

From there all you’ll have to do is practice in front of the mirror then, on shoot day, bust out your best game face!

Our professional photographers will be there to coach you every step of the way and help you take the best possible profile pictures.

Get Wordy

One-word answers to Prompts are not the way to somebody’s heart! Not only does it give off the vibe that you can’t be bothered and aren’t taking this seriously, it also doesn’t give the other party much to work with.

Similarly, be sure to use the comment feature when you send your Likes. Your potential Match will be far more likely to remember you as the guy who had something nice to say, rather than yet another profile that hit the Like button!

Put the effort into your responses and messages, and you’re far more likely to meet someone who appreciates you for how you express yourself!

It’s All About the Details

Authenticity and confidence are attractive qualities in a potential partner. And really getting into the nitty gritty of the specifics, as well as being open and engaged, will help your potential Match see you for you.

Now, while we aren’t suggesting that you word vomit and overshare before you get to the first date, being too guarded isn’t going to score you many dates, either.

Aim for a good balance and you’re bound to get more Likes pouring into your feed.

Don’t Get Too Negative

While you may be kind of cynical IRL, that doesn’t necessarily come across well on the internet. Particularly on dating apps.

A potential partner doesn’t want to be lumbered with someone who complains all the time, or who gets irritated by small things, so keep it light! We all have pet peeves, but if you want to make more Matches, it’s best to leave those to the side for now.

Double Check Your Grammar and Spelling

We’re just going to say it: making grammatical or spelling errors on your dating profile is a huge turn off!

While not everyone can be a grammar and spelling whizz, misspelled words or a profile full of grammatical errors just makes it look like you don’t care.

There are heaps of free programs out there that can help you double check before you post — perhaps you could even ask a trusted friend! Either way, make sure your profile is error free before you publish it to the world!

Hinge Prompts Guide

Prompts are Hinge’s answer to the boring bio. Instead of writing a dull 50 words about yourself, they instead get you to answer a series of Prompts which display on your profile.

When you set up your profile, you’ll have to include three answers to Prompts. You can also add Video Prompts (which are a good way to let someone else see and hear you!), Voice Prompts, and answer polls.

There are loads of different Prompts out there, and it’s a great way to dive straight into a conversation with someone else, without needing to go through general small talk (which is both boring and painful).

Our best advice for answering Prompts?

Keep it positive

Try to be funny (if you are)

Focus on the things you love

Try to include something about your ideal Match

Mention a really good first date idea

Keep it classy

Keep your answers short and sweet

Don’t give “non answers” — put some effort into it!

What Are Hinge Dealbreakers?

Dealbreakers are a preferences function within Hinge that remove certain profiles from your view. If you turn this on for a particular preference (eg, doesn’t want kids), you won’t see any profiles that match with that preference.

How Do You Get Matches on Hinge?

If you’ve Liked someone else’s profile or they’ve Liked yours, you’ll get a little notification. From here you can either Like them back, reply to them, Match, or dismiss.

If you choose to Match, just tap the button, and their profile will automatically move into Matches. From there you can either wait for them to initiate a conversation, or you can.

To increase the chances that you actually get more Matches, be sure to optimize your profile (as we’ve already discussed)! It’s really the best way to get people to pay attention to you in the giant sea of potential dates!

Why Am I Not Getting Any Matches on Hinge?

If you aren’t getting any Hinge Matches then this could be for a variety of reasons:

There aren’t enough other users within your location

You haven’t completed your profile or provided enough information

Your photos are poor or not an accurate depiction of yourself

You’ve set too high a bar in your preferences

There are too many other users in your area competing for attention

You need to be more specific for the Matches you’d like to make.

How to Hack the Hinge Algorithm

While there’s no official hack, there are various things you can do on your Hinge profile that will help you Match with people you vibe with.

Answer interesting Prompts

“My favorite drink is beer,” is an answer, sure, but is it interesting? Nope! Instead, pick Prompts that let you show off your personality or something interesting about yourself that would work as a great conversation starter.

Share what you love

Have you got something unusual about yourself that would be a great way for someone to get to know you? Maybe you play the didgeridoo because when you were a kid you were obsessed with Crocodile Dundee? Well, that’s a great conversation starter and it tells someone all about you!

Honesty is the best policy but…

There is a way to “trick” the algorithm, which is by answering Prompts in a way that you think a potential Match might like. You can craft the person you think would attract someone, this way.

However! Doing so will be dishonest and, eventually, the other person will find out the truth about you. So while you can encourage the algorithm to Match you like this, we don’t recommend it!

What is the Male to Female Ratio on Hinge?

The ratio of male to female users is roughly 59% to 41%, which is a much better ratio than on other dating apps. However, there are still a few more men than women, and anecdotal evidence shows that as a result, some women can be a bit overwhelmed on the app.

Our best advice in that situation? Only Like profiles you’re really interested in, be open, and stick to truths, rather than fabrications!

In short: be yourself!

Can You Use Hinge Without Facebook?

You sure can — if you don’t have Facebook (or don’t want to link your account), you can use your phone number to sign up. You will need to authenticate your account with it, and you can also include your Apple ID.

How Many Likes Does a Guy Get on Hinge?

While it can depend, anecdotal evidence suggests that the average guy will receive around three to five Likes a week.

A lot of the guys we work with, once their profiles are revamped and they’ve uploaded new photos, can receive up to 20–30 Likes a day. You see? Your photos really are what makes the difference!

Hinge Uses Data Science to Determine the Ideal Number of Likes a User Should Have

While it may feel like the number of Likes available to you — eight — is rather on the low side, you may be surprised to learn that a lot of research went into this number!

According to Hinge, giving users only eight Likes per day actually made the number of dates-per-user increase!

Pretty interesting stuff, right? It’s because, unlike other apps, Hinge doesn’t go for quantity, it’s all about quality.

In fact, dating app fatigue has become a real problem with dating apps. With a larger number of swipes, or likes, available to users, the temptation is to attempt to play the numbers game. But that actually leads to less motivation and fewer messages.

What does that mean for you? Less genuine interaction and — likely — less possibility that you’ll actually go out on a date.

So don’t be disappointed with your eight Likes — it’s all down to science!

Key Takeaways

If you’re looking for a serious relationship, Hinge promises to be just that. It’s “designed to be deleted” branding means that they’ve put some real work into making sure that users can potentially meet a Match who won’t just be someone but the one!

While Hinge has various features in place to facilitate this — for example their Prompts feature (which helps users get to know each other on a more personal level), as well as video chatting, and the ability to adjust and specify your preferences — it’s still up to you to build and optimize your profile.

The free version of Hinge has significantly less features than the paid version, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to meet and Match with others if you don’t pay. You’ll just have slightly fewer Likes to work with.

At the end of the day, the way to get more Matches and dates through Hinge is by:

Being yourself

Being open to meeting new people outside of your immediate preferences

Answering Prompts in detail

Showing your personality

Having a great selection of images.

And if you’re ready to really nail your images, then go ahead and book your shoot with The Match Artist today! It’s an easy way to really get your profile up to scratch and get you one step closer to meeting your ideal Hinge Match!

We promise you won’t regret it!

How Does Hinge Work FAQs

How is Hinge different from Tinder?

Instead of focusing on swiping, as Tinder does, Hinge instead encourages users to Like and comment on other people’s profiles. The hope is that this will lead to more genuine connections, rather than superficial views, and less ghosting.

Can you get Matches on Hinge without paying?

Yes, you absolutely can get Matches on Hinge without needing to upgrade to Hinge+. However, it may take a little more time. With Hinge+ there are more features which make it easier for you to be able to see profiles that you’re more likely to Match with.

Can you see who Likes you on Hinge?

Yes, you can see who’s Liked you in your Likes You feed. Just remember that you’ll only be able to see the top result if you’re on the free version of Hinge. If you want to see a full list of everyone who’s Liked You, you’ll need to upgrade to Hinge+.

Sources

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