I’ve seen memes about the dating app Hinge for years. For a while, they were just amusing posts to come across occasionally on Instagram, but since becoming newly single a few months ago, I decided to try the app out for myself. I’ve had my fair share of the Tinder experience, both in America and Europe (shameless plug to my “Life in Barcelona” series) but it just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. Did I delete it? No, I love swiping on photos of potential bachelors. But, I decided to expand my dating app horizons and downloaded Hinge as well.
The Overview
From the get-go, I understood that this app was more intricate than Tinder. In addition to answering basic questions like my sexual orientation and my age, it also asked me about my religious affiliation, if I’m a drug user, if I’m vaccinated, and other questions of the sort. You can choose to hide this information from your public profile, but you are required to fill it out. I like that the app gives the option to privatize the information, but I did find it a bit odd that it required so much from me.
Then came the fun part: picking photos and prompts. Yes, you read that correctly: prompts. Hinge not only requires users to upload at least three photos of themselves, but also to answer at least three questions or prompts. I personally really like this feature of Hinge because you get some insight into a potential match’s personality, unlike Tinder where you just tap through photos. While the prompts are *slightly* overwhelming to choose from, you can always edit or change them later, so the prompts you choose initially are not a huge commitment (unlike the relationship you’re maybe looking for).
After all that setup, it’s finally time to start browsing through your match options. One of my favorite features of Hinge is that instead of having to like an entire profile, it allows you to like a specific photo or answer that the person provided, and you can even add a comment if you want to. There is a separate section for people who like you, and you can choose whether or not to match with them. Upon matching, you can also select whether you would like to invite that person to start the chat, or if you’d like to be the one to start it. I like this feature as well because, with Tinder, it’s hard to know if a match will reach out to you first or if you have to be the one to do it, but with Hinge, you indicate if you’d like them to make the first move and vice versa.
My Experience
So now, we move on to my experience with the app. I go on Hinge at least once a day, usually when I am bored. There have been some funny answers, good-looking guys, and fun matches, but of course, there are the occasional weirdos from whom I try to stay away.
I bet you’re wondering–did you go on a date with any of your matches? My answer–yes, I did. While it can be scary going on a blind date with somebody that you met online (they could be a serial killer, who knows?), I met with this guy in a public setting and we took our own transportation, so I feel like I took a safe approach. I also felt better about meeting someone from Hinge rather than Tinder because, as I said, you don’t get much of a glance into the person’s personality or interests on Tinder, whereas on Hinge, you get a better idea of what you’re getting yourself into.
Overall, I think Hinge is a great app due to its customization and more intricate profiles. But it also depends on what you’re looking for. I think that most people have heard this stereotype, but Tinder is for hookups and Hinge is for dates and relationships. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but I think if you’re ready to get back out there and date, Hinge is a great place to start. Or, if you’re like me, and Instagram and TikTok aren’t doing it for you when you’re bored, Hinge is great for looking at what’s out there.