Hinge still claims the Tinder throne but is growing fast. This dating app, which has been around for years, does things a little differently. It’s still a dating app. It’s still about pictures and profile but a bit more. If you are new to the app, this tutorial will walk you through how to manage and hide your profile on Hinge.
Hinge differs from Tinder in a few key ways. It has a smaller audience for now. It is inexpensive to use and you can use your Facebook profile to create your date or create your own. Also, it’s more about dating than endless chatting on the phone. Finally, it uses links to pair you with someone. The app focuses on mutual friends and connections on Facebook to find you a match.
The hinge works in two ways. Use Facebook and you are presented with your Facebook friends or friends of your friends. Don’t use Facebook and you will be presented with dates based on the filters you set.
The premise is actually pretty good. Matches you with Facebook friends or friends of friends. Theoretically, this avoids most of those awful random dates that you have nothing in common with. The downside is that if you thought a Facebook friend or link was worth investigating, you probably would have already done so.
Go the other way by not using Facebook and Hinge is a more standard dating app.
Hinge Usage
You can use a built-in Facebook profile for the hinge to work, or create your own from scratch. Facebook way, school, work, friends etc. It collects data from Facebook and creates your dating profile. You have some control over this and you can hide some information, but once you upload your Hinge profile you cannot change any of the data.
Otherwise, don’t use Facebook to create your account and use your phone number instead. Then you can create your own dating profile just like any other dating app.
Hinge can also use Facebook photos for your dating profile, so be sure to upload good photos. Again, once added to the Hinge, you cannot delete or change them. Or you can add your own. Six images are allowed and you must use six. This is part of the design of the app.
Manage your hinge profile
Hinge had a similar model to Tinder in that the base app was free and there was a subscription model for extra features. That changed with the redesign and is now $7 a month after a 90-day free trial. It’s available for iOS and Android, and you sign up with your Facebook account or phone number.
You have to upload six quality images and fill in some information so that the app knows about you and what you are looking for. You can add details such as religion, political views, family plans, and bad habits to let people know about you. You then have the opportunity to set the age, distance, ethnicity and religion of your desired match to help the app find you dates.
Hinge Profile Commands
A unique way Hinge tries to be different is in Profile Prompts. These will help you complete your profile and you can use three to create your profile. They include things like ‘The award I should be nominated for…’, ‘I’m actually legally bad…’ or ‘The dumbest thing about me…’. These are ideas to get you started building your profile. They can even completely replace the profile if you want.
These are simple and there are dozens of these prompts. They’ll help you create a dating bio that’s unlike any other and can spark your creative side.
Hide your hinge profile
If you’ve found someone special and want to pause your Hinge activity, this is a little harder than it needs to be. As far as I know you cannot pause your account or hide your profile on Hinge. Instead, you should delete your profile or set your location to Greenland or Antarctica, where no one can find you.
A small thing, but an important omission. Hinge is about exiting the app and meeting in real life, but it doesn’t allow you to pause your account to do so. Not that I can find it anyway.
Hinge tries to be different and succeeds in many ways. She understands that dating apps are not the solution, only a gateway, and tries to work that way. Hinge knows that her only job is publicity, and then she needs to step out and let you meet face-to-face. She even suggests things in common that might be a good place to go on a date.
With Bumble, Hinge took the basic dating app and went in another direction. It’s a reliable option, and there are key differences you’ll love or hate whether you use the Facebook option or not. I like it and wish you continued success!
