Is Hinge the Right Dating App for You?

If you go to the mission page on Hinge’s website, you can see that the first principle they listed says, “Designed to be deleted.”

They mean that they want you to find the one. If you do, you will finally delete dating apps because you’re done looking for someone. 

That means they aim to help connect long-term partners with deep connections rather than casual dating or hook up.

In fact, they prefer to be called a “relationship app” rather than an online dating app.

What Is Hinge?

Hinge is a free dating app that allows users to find matches.

Users create profiles, upload photos, answer questions, and connect with others who share similar interests.

Hinge finds potential matches by using those pieces of information and suggests potential partners to each other.

Users can browse through suggested profiles of others to see if they think they like that person.

After connecting with a match, users can chat, send messages, and even arrange to meet.

How Does Hinge Work?

The idea behind Hinge is simple—connecting people through shared interests. But how does it work? 

First, users sign up for a free account at hingeapp.com. They’re asked to fill out a profile including information about themselves, their interests, and their location. 

Other users do the same, and Hinge will process those pieces of information to suggest profiles they think you’ll like and will like you.

Hinge profiles consist of 6 different photos or videos and your choice of 3 “prompts” to answer. You can choose from 80+ selection of prompts on the app.

There are three ways to see potential matches on the Hinge app. 

Discover Feed

Your Discover feed is where you will see Hinge-suggested profiles.

You can either “like” or “pass” on them depending if you want to match with them or not.

The app has a “Most Compatible match” feature. It is a feature that shows users a profile that matches each other based on Hinge’s algorithm. Basically, they’re someone who you’re looking for who is also looking for you. 

Ideally, you should get one Most Compatible match per day. 

To connect or match with a profile you see on the Discovery Feed, you need to like content within that profile. You can also send a “rose.” Sending roses gives your profile priority placement in your potential match’s feed.

Standouts Feed

In the Standouts feed, you won’t see profiles. Instead, you’ll see profile prompts and photos.

You will be suggested popular users they think would match you. 

The algorithm for the Standouts feed considers the contents you interacted with on your Discovery feed.

You get ten or so Standout prompts per day.

You can also send roses on the Standouts feed.

Likes You Feed

This is where you can see who liked your profile or any content on your profile. 

You can only scroll through one user profile at a time if you have the free version of the app. For the premium version users, they can access a grid view of all the profiles. 

Here, you can either “pass” a user profile or “match with” and start a conversation.

You can like profile answers or photos. 

Hinge VS Tinder On Serious Relationships

Tinder is famous for its “swipe right” to like or “swipe left” to dislike function. Which some might find shallow because it mostly relies on the looks of the users – thus promoting hookup culture.

However, for Hinge, you will get prompt answers on the profiles, and the Standouts feed. Profile prompts are basically icebreaker questions about users. The individual answers offer tidbits about users or basically more information about you. 

You get to choose a prompt you want to answer from their selection, such as “Believe or not I…” and “A random fact I love is…”

This feature shows more about you as a person rather than just a picture or basic information on profiles. 

How Does Hinge Help Establish Relationships?

Filters

Tinder filters the profiles they suggest to you using four basic criteria:

• Gender
• Location
• Max Distance
• Age

Hinge, on the other hand, will screen profiles more thoroughly before they suggest them to you.

Basic Filters:

• Gender
• Location
• Age
• Max Distance Range
• Height
• Ethnicity
• Religion

Additional filters:

• Children
• Family Plans
• Education
• Politics
• Drinking
• Smoking
• Marijuana
• Drugs

Hinge non-paying users can only filter using the basic filters, while paying users or Hinge Preferred members can add these additional filters.

The ability to screen users based on more specific criteria lets them suggest more compatible people to you – increasing the chance of you finding someone to be serious with.

It also saves you time, so you don’t get tired of talking to multiple people.

In addition, you can also specify what of the list is a “dealbreaker” to you. You can choose any number on the list, and you won’t see profiles that have your dealbreakers. 

Limiting Likes

Tinder lets users swipe right up to 100 times every 12 hours.

On the other hand, Hinge users can only “like” 8 profiles a day (on the free version, unlimited for paid users).

Limiting the interactions you can make will force you to use them wisely. 

That means you have to really look into the profile and see if you actually like that person or have the potential to have something between you rather than casually passing just anyone. 

When you go through the profiles more intently, the interactions become more efficient. 

Hinge Preferred

Hinge’s plans

• 1 Month: $39.99 per month
• 3 Months: $79.99 ($26.66 per month)
• 6 Months: $119.99 ($19.99 per month)

Advanced features:

• Unlimited like compared to 8 likes per day on the free version
• See every current likes in one view instead of checking each one and seeing only recent ones
• Unlock the advanced preferences and filter more specifically
• Get access to Hinge experts

Final Words

In conclusion, Hinge is more suited for you if you’re looking for more than casual relationships to committed relationships.

Of course, you may still find casual dating or hookups on the app if that’s what you and your match have agreed on, but the app is designed for more long-term relationships. 

Either way, Hinge may help you find whatever type of relationship you want or need.