If you’ve been around Bumble, Tinder, Fruitz or even Happn, don’t panic, hope is not yet completely lost. Because in the world of dating applications, a little news has just appeared: Hinge. After being a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom, she arrived in France a few weeks ago, with a very particular promise, that of being “made to be deleted”. Because unlike its competitors, the last one relies on long-term relationships.
And to deliver on its promise, the app relies on science, specifically an algorithm that determines partner compatibility – inspired of the Gale-Shapley theorem. In other words, Hinge promises to bring you profiles you’ll really like.
Much more detailed profiles
And to create a profile on Hinge – which is mandatory, by the way – you will have to be patient. Because this is where the strength of the application lies. To maximize your chances of meeting your ideal match, the application encourages you to go into the details. The more your profile is provided, the more the algorithm refines its results. After uploading a minimum of six photos (or videos), users can indicate their basic information: age, size, place of residence, education, profession, political opinions, religion, astrological sign or consumption of alcohol, tobacco or dope.
But where Hinge makes the difference is in the questions or guided hooks offered to users: “my most irrational fear”, “the worst idea of my life”, “the most spontaneous thing I have ever done”, “the green flags I’m looking for”, “the last time I cried for joy, it was”, “my typical Sunday”, “I can talk for hours about”, “the thing I don’t never again”, and so on. Members also have the option of posting a voice note or a short video.
A notable difference with Tinder, according to Fanny, who uses the application: “People look a little more serious, because the profile takes time to do, there is a certain investment. On Tinder, the descriptions are all the same or so without personality. “For this 30-year-old, who registered at the beginning of March, this multitude of information makes it possible to understand her “matches” a little better: “It pushes people more to show who they are, we can better guess their personality”, explains- she.
Easier interaction
Here, no frantic swipes like on Tinder. To show interest in a profile, the user can “like” an answer to a question, a voice note or a photo. Singles can also send “one rose” a day, the equivalent of a “superlike” on Tinder. “On Tinder and Bumble, what is complicated for me is to take the step of the discussion, to launch it. On Hinge, liking an answer to a question, for example, creates an interaction even before matching with a person, it’s easier to start a conversation, ”says Fanny, who plans to permanently delete Tinder and Bumble.
Unlike Tinder, on Hinge, no need to click on the profile to access it, everything is displayed as soon as the first photo appears. And inevitably, the user spends more time on the profile. But above all, Hinge prefers quality over quantity. To break with the abundance of profiles on other applications, the youngest limits its number of daily likes to eight. In other words, no more “swiping” to the right, you have to think twice before “liking”. As it bets on the long term, Hinge sends a satisfaction survey to users to find out if the match was successful or not. Basically, if you have made a date, you can specify if you plan to see this potential partner again.
More expensive paid versions
But is the app really meant to be removed as it claims? Not necessarily, according to Fanny: “Indeed, we find more detailed profiles, which correspond to us better, it’s less the race for matches, but it’s not revolutionary. “Especially since, according to this Parisian, most users indicate “that they are open to long relationships but also to short relationships”.
If the application is free, it offers, like Tinder, Bumble and other applications, paid versions that allow better profile recommendations, unlimited “likes” or several roses per day. And as in love, we do not count, Hinge is still a little more expensive than its competitors. All the same, plan 18.33 euros per month for the first paid version “Hinge +”, and 30.83 euros for the premium version “HingeX”. But at the same time, love is priceless.