Hinge

• Competitive Prices
• Simple Signup Process
• Free Membership
• Unique App Features
• Hinge Experts
• Hinge Research Team

Competitive Prices

Serious online daters seeking a long-term relationship are encouraged to sign up as a premium member. The app states that Preferred Members get twice as many dates because they can send unlimited likes, see everyone who liked them, set advanced preferences (education, family plans, politics, and vices, etc.), and talk with relationship experts who can help answer any dating question.

Pricing for Hinge is as follows:

• 1 Month — $12.99
• 3 Months — $20.99 ($6.99 per month)
• 6 Months — $29.99 ( $4.99 per month)

Simple Signup Process

Signing up with Hinge is a fairly simple and straightforward process. Daters can either fill out the information manually or have the information auto-filled by connecting to their Facebook account. New users can also sign up using a mobile number. 
 
The sign-up process will ask users to fill out personal information in the “My Vitals” and “My Virtues” sections. The “My Vitals” section will ask for your location, gender, and gender preference. Hinge is friendly to those looking for heterosexual, same-sex, or bisexual relationships. Other personal information includes height, education level, religious affiliation, employment, ethnicity, number of kids, and hometown. 
 
The “My Virtues” section will ask you deeper questions related to your personal values. Topics include substance and alcohol habits/preferences, and political standpoint. You will also need to fill out at least one writing prompt. You can choose to answer a full question or finish a sentence. Take time to craft your Hinge profile to ensure thoughtful information and improve your chances of finding a committed relationship.

Free Membership

A free membership allows users to filter potential matches by gender, location, age, distance, ethnicity, and religion. Similar to Tinder, members can start messaging each other once they find a match. Unlike other dating apps, matches and conversations never expire. Most app features are available to free members with limitations.  
 
Free members have access to the following features: 

• One free rose every Sunday 
• Ability to give up to 10 likes per day*
• Unlimited messaging with mutual matches
• Access to Standout and Discover feeds
• Filter potential matches with select filters

* Users must upload at least six profile photos to start sending likes with a free membership. 

Unique App Features

Hinge continues to release new app features to improve the user experience. New features are intended to spotlight personalized matches and make it easier to connect. 

Dealbreakers

Members can choose to switch some of their preferences to strict. This means that anyone who doesn’t meet or fit that requirement will not appear in the Discover tool.

Standouts Feed

Hinge recently introduced a Standouts feed that focuses on questions and prompts. Instead of swiping through photos, users can swipe through popular Prompt answers and start a conversation. Users can send a rose to connect with an individual on the Standouts feed. Every user gets one free rose per week with the option to purchase more.  

“We Met” Feature

The “We Met” feature asks for feedback to guide the app to make better recommendations. If you go on a date with someone on the Hinge dating app, you can privately report how the date went. This new feature will help prompt the algorithm to select other matches that are either similar or dissimilar to this match depending on your feedback. No other dating site provides a way to report on your dates. 

Hinge Experts 

With their Preferred Member plan, online daters can receive personalized dating advice from a Hinge Expert. Experts can provide adivce on anything, from selecting the best profile photo to great conversation starters when they’re on a date. 

Hinge Research Team

Hinge has a special research team designed to help people find suitable matches. The team collects and analyzes user data to find the best way to get people matched and off the app. This is called the Hinge Lab.
 
Hinge lab analyzes couples who met on the app to identify patterns for success. Hinge is the only online dating site to supply its own research team. In addition to analyzing current user behavior, the team also conducts experiments to see how small app changes affect the matching process. Research findings are shared through Hinge’s newsletter and social media. 
 
One of the team’s most recent studies relates to virtual dating. Hinge provides a video chat feature for users who have sent at least one message to one another. The Hinge Lab surveyed users before and during the pandemic to assess interest in digital dates. While most users hadn’t had a virtual date before quarantine, several users expressed interest in trying it. 
 
The research team found that users who tried a digital date felt that the dates were less awkward than they expected. Researching findings focused on dating can encourage users to try new dating methods and improve their chances of finding a good match. 

• Unmatching and Skipping Are Permanent 
• No Background Checks
• Mobile App Only

Unmatching and Skipping Are Permanent 

Unfortunately, online daters who accidentally unmatch someone will not be able to talk to that match again. Members should also be careful as they choose to match and skip profiles in Discover mode. Only the most recent skip can be undone.

No Background Checks 

Members should know that Hinge does not conduct any criminal background checks (although this is similar to other online dating sites). Hinge authenticates the identity of its members through their Facebook account or through their phone number.

Mobile App Only

Hinge does not provide a desktop version of the app. Hinge users must download the Hinge app to create a profile and start messaging matches. Hinge caters to a younger demographic, so the mobile app is accessible for most users. The simple platform allows users to quickly find relevant information for making match considerations.