Dating apps aren’t really a new concept anymore. They’ve been around the block a few times, and by now have started to build their own reputations: Tinder is largely known as a place to find a hook-up, Bumble for prioritising female-first initiations, and Hinge for being where you go to find a long-lasting relationship.
Not all of those things are necessarily true anymore, but Hinge still prides itself on being the dating app “designed to be deleted”. It worked for me! I got on Hinge a few years ago, met my current partner and spent the Covid-19 lockdown doing fun little dates nearby (thankfully, she lived within my bubble). We’re still together almost four years later, so I have a fair bit of trust in whatever magic Hinge is using to pair people up. And yes, I’ve deleted the app.
As it stands, Hinge sets up a date every two seconds, but it can only do so much: if you get paired with the love of your life but your profile is utterly inadequate, you can’t expect them to drill down to get the details out of you. You’ve gotta sell yourself – and we’re going to help you do it.
To this end, we chatted with Logan Ury, behavioural scientist turned Hinge’s director of relationship science, about what makes a good Hinge profile, and what makes a great first impression.
Expert Tips on How to Use Hinge
1. Get Your Face Out There
The first, and most important, step is to make sure your Hinge profile is as good as it can be. This might mean putting some work in to fix it up, but what’s a few hours versus a lifetime of companionship?
According to Ury, the majority of successful Hinge users say the most important thing they look for in a match is a good first photo. Specifically, they want to see your face.
“Ditch the photos with filters or sunglasses because these make it harder for us to see what you look like,” Ury said. “Start with an unobstructed headshot, and include photos of yourself doing things you love.”
Ury also added that group photos aren’t a great idea, as they make it difficult to figure out who you are in the crowd. It’s dating, not a guessing game. On the topic of what doesn’t work, avoid photos of you at the gym: only 3 per cent of successful Hinge daters say their profiles include these, so keep them for your gym buddies only.
2. Put Your Personality on Display
From there, take your time to make sure your profile actually represents who you are. A lot of people fill out their profiles quickly to get to the swiping, but you’re doing yourself a disservice.
If you’re struggling with content, you can use Hinge’s Prompt feature to help you figure out what to present about yourself. For example, some of the more popular prompts are “a fact about me that surprises people…”, “this year, I really want to…”, “green flags I look for…”, and “my most irrational fear…”.
From there, you’re invited to answer the prompt, and your answer will be shared onto your profile: it’s a great way to tell others about yourself without having to come up with a whole spiel. Just make sure your answers are interesting enough to be able to generate a response (no one word responses allowed).
“Answer the Prompts in a way that encourages more in-depth conversation and leads to more meaningful connections. Whatever it is you love about who you are, make sure other people can see it,” Ury shared.
Plus, make sure to avoid cliches. For example, one particular prompt, “my usual skill”, has way too many people claiming they’re incredibly good at “getting my hoodies back”. Ury said Hinge saw a 9,670 per cent increase in 26 to 30 year-old people mentioning this in their profiles between April and May 2024. Did I miss a viral TikTok or something?
“Daters are looking for your unique quirks and perspective,” Ury said. “I recommend skipping the fish pics, the pineapple on pizza debate, and the “getting your hoodie back” skills, and focus on presenting your authentic self.”
In saying that, there’s definitely room for both serious and unserious answers. If you only give joke answers, you’ll come off like a court jester, but if you show no sense of humour you’ll appear boring or uptight. Find a middle ground and show off the complexities that make you who you are.
One thing that might feel strange putting on your profile, but is actually incredibly important, is to highlight what you’re looking for on the app.
“If you want to avoid a situationship, you have to be upfront from the beginning about what you’re looking for,” Ury said.
“We’ve found that if you put on your profile that you’re looking for a relationship, you’re 17 per cent more likely to get a message from someone looking for the same thing.”
3. Don’t Play Games
Okay, you’ve updated your profile, and got a match! Now what?
The first step, Ury said, is to avoid the temptation to treat your interactions with your match as a game. Don’t fuck around: message them sooner rather than later, and set up a date within a few days.
“You might be tempted to play it cool when you first start messaging someone. But our research proves the opposite approach is best,” she said.
Hinge’s research has found that when you contact someone within 24 hours of matching with them, you have a 44 per cent higher chance of hearing back from them – and, when both people respond to each other within an hour, your chances of getting a date increase exponentially.
On that, the sweet spot for approaching someone about meeting up in person is around three days after matching: You’ve had enough time to get to know each other a little bit, but the momentum of meeting someone new is still in full swing and you’ll have plenty to talk about.
Leave it longer, and people are more likely to lose interest, so don’t wait for a better opportunity. If you’ve done the work, your profile really reflects who you are, and the person on the other end wants to meet up, you could be on the verge of deleting Hinge forever.
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