How To Use The Hinge Dating App To Meet Women

The Hinge dating app is a relatively new app which you can use on your phone.  Hinge shares "3 out of 4 first dates from Hinge lead to seconds dates," and they say they're the "#1 mobile-first dating app mentioned in The New York Times wedding section."     

Is Hinge a good way to meet women?  It's certainly sleek, well designed, and has positives, but Hinge has some shortcomings; namely a lack of women.

At this point, I would recommend Tinder or Bumble over Hinge, but that doesn't mean Hinge isn't a good app.  Here's a complete breakdown of the Hinge dating app so you can determine if it's right for you.

How to set up your profile on Hinge

Setting up your profile on Hinge is simple.  Here's what you need to do to quickly set up your bio:

1. Go to the app store or here.  The app installs quickly.
2. You can connect Hinge to your Facebook account or use your phone number to activate your account.
3. You may connect your profile to your Facebook or Instagram account if you choose.
4. Upload your photos to your profile from your phone, Facebook, or Instagram.
5. Choose and answer up to 3 questions which Hinge uses as Icebreakers.

How the Hinge dating app works

Hinge will present you women in "Discover" mode.  Discover mode is where you can like women's profiles and see which women like yours.

On Hinge, you don't swipe right or swipe left like Tinder.  If you like a woman, you can click on the green heart one of their pictures or answers to one of their 3 icebreaker questions to send a "like" to them.

When a woman likes your profile, you'll see a bubble pop up at the top of her profile along with the specific part of your profile that they liked.  In the example below, Laura liked one of my photos.

Women will also initiate conversations by commenting on one of your answers to your icebreaker questions.  In the example below, another woman named Laura commented on my icebreaker answer.

The icons on Hinge represent different things.  The green heart appears so you can like, and comment, on a woman's profile while the blue icon appears when a woman likes something on your dating profile.

How to start conversations on Hinge

There are two ways to start a conversation on Hinge.  

1. A woman will like something on your profile.
2. You can like a woman's profile and comment on something.

As mentioned above, If a woman like something on your profile, a photo or answer to a question, for example, you'll see a bubble popup at the top of her dating profile.  

You can also start conversations by liking something on a woman's profile.  You'll see a green heart which means you can click on it and send a like and add a comment.

Don't "like" a woman's profile without adding a comment.  I pointed out why likes themselves are a terrible idea in this blog post, How Do Likes Work On Dating Sites? Are They Worth The Effort?

If you comment on a woman's profile and she wants to open the conversation, she'll invite you to start chatting like this:

For a more detailed overview of getting responses from women on Hinge, visit my blog post What Is The Best Way To Start Conversations On Hinge With Women.

What do you get with the paid version of Hinge

Although Hinge does allow you to meet women for free, there is a "Preferred Membership" which is a paid monthly membership.   Here are the features you get for the paid membership:

• Your likes are hidden.  You can only see who likes you with the paid version.
• You also can use "advanced preferences," which includes education, family plans, politics, and vices.
• Hinge also give you access to experts who answer your dating questions.

What I like about Hinge

Here are a few things I like about the Hinge dating app:

• Easy setup.  You can get up and running literally in minutes.  
• The app is smooth; it's sleek and responsive.  Hinge may be the best dating app (in terms of performance) you can use on your phone.
• It's free!  You can meet women without having to be a paid member.  
• As opposed to apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Coffeemeetsbagel; Hinge has a filtering mechanism which can help you focus on your optimal choices in a partner.

What I dislike about Hinge

Every dating app has its shortcomings.  Hinge is no exception.  Here are a few of the things I don't like about Hinge:

• There aren't a lot of women on it.  Maybe because it's a newer app there aren't as many women on the app like Tinder or Bumble.  Hopefully, this will change with time.
• You can't see who likes you without being a paid member.  This is nothing new as all apps force you to pay to see which women like your profile.
• You can't use the filter mechanism unless you upgrade your membership to the paid features.
• There is no "search" mechanism which means you're at the mercy of Hinge as to whom you can meet.  
• There's no desktop version of Hinge.  Hinge is only available on your phone.

Final Thoughts

Hinge is a good dating app and worth a look.  I don't recommend using it as a primary dating tool to meet someone.  Concerning apps, I think Bumble and Tinder are better choices right now.

If I were serious about finding a partner, I'd be irritated you can't filter what you're looking for without being a paid member.  Meaning, if you want kids, for example, it's difficult to search for women who want children without using the paid feature.

There's also a lack of women on it right now.  Maybe it has a low amount of female member because it's so new, but with time, this could change.  I live in San Diego, and there are far more options on Bumble and Tinder.

All this doesn't mean the Hinge dating app is bad.  It's pretty good, just not great.  I think Hinge has a slick front end and design, is easy to use and is worth a look if you know what's in store for you.  There's no need to use the paid feature.  You'll do fine with the free version.

Download it and give it a try.  You got nothing to lose but don't have high expectations until more women start using the app.