How does the Hinge dating app work?Īfter setting up your basic profile and photos, you’ll be given an array of personal questions to look at. Preferred Hinge membership is offered for $9.99 per month, $19.99 for three months, or $29.99 for six months.
The higher-tier option gets you all the features of the free app, plus lets you apply filters on potential matches including “height, whether someone has children, whether someone wants children, politics, drinking, smoking, marijuana, and drug use.” The paid version also saves time by giving you unlimited likes and the option to see everyone who liked you at the same time. But if you want to get the most out of the app, you’ll want to consider upgrading to the Preferred Hinge membership. You can use many of the Hinge app’s features and browse profiles in your area for free.
Here’s how to actually use the app.įizkes/Shutterstock Is the Hinge app free? The “We Met” feature allows users to provide valuable feedback on actual dates they went on with their matches, which aids the algorithm for future pairings.Īll in all, Hinge is for people looking for a more personal dating app experience. The developers also made an effort to consider life beyond the app. “Your Turn” reminds users to respond to messages they’ve left sitting in their inboxes. To discourage this kind of behavior and to aid the forgetful, Hinge introduced an anti-ghosting feature. The impersonal feel of an app makes it far too easy to ghost whoever’s on the other end of the algorithm. Hinge also tries to combat the difficulties posed by a tech-based experience. Once per day, this algorithm will pick out your “Most Compatible” match, ideally making it a teeny bit easier for you to find your soulmate. This allows the app’s algorithm to find more personalized and suitable matches.
It allows people to emphasize which “filters,” or traits, are most important to them (e.g., religion or height). Judging from the fact that Hinge got more shoutouts in the New York Times wedding section in 2017 than Tinder and Bumble, this method seems to be working.įurthermore, Hinge collects a lot more data than, say, Tinder. The app encourages users to focus more on personality traits rather than just photos. That’s why Hinge ditched the classic swiping mechanic in 2015 in favor of scrolling through profiles. It certainly isn’t the most ideal way to find a partner. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, mechanically swiping on human beings (often solely based on their looks) can be a little dehumanizing and lonely. The dating app experience is nearly synonymous with swiping-so much so that “swipe left” is now slang for finding someone unattractive.