Hingefor iOS

Hinge is a dating app that emphasizes serious relationships. The self-proclaimed ‘installed to be deleted’ approach promises to use its optimization tools to find you a match among the pool of compatible, highly-detailed profiles and let you leave the world of online dating in no time. 

An exciting premise

Dating apps aren’t a novelty. Still, the most notable names like OkCupid and Tinder take a more hands-of approach, letting you swim the dating waters alone. 

Hinge is more personalized, cutting through the randomness and helping you transition into offline dating more smoothly

How it works

You log into Hinge with your Facebook account or phone number. If you do the former, the app pulls your profile details, using your posts, likes, and friend list to generate a list of potential matches. However, in either case, you can edit what other people see.

Next, you’ll answer three questions about yourself, fill in personal details, and specify your preferences and deal-breakers. The more detailed you are, the better matches the algorithm suggests.

The Discovery section shows you the suggested matches, which you can comment on or like. If the person responds, the app lets you start a conversation. There's also the 'Date from Home' feature for having a phone or video call with your match. 

Paid vs free

You can use Hinge as a free app or upgrade to a paid membership. If you don’t pay, it limits your filter options and caps your interactions to 10 a day. That’s usually still enough for most people, eliminating the need to pay to take advantage of all it offers. 

Our take

Overall, Hinge does what it promises. It removes the shallow aspects of apps like Tinder and replaces them with a more personalized system. Plus, it looks great, runs seamlessly, and has a free version.

Should you download it?

Yes, if you’re into dating apps but tired of swiping and superficial conversations. If you’re there for casual meetups, though, go elsewhere.