Hinge

Hinge, the dating app that's "designed to be deleted," was launched by founder and CEO Justin McLeod in 2012 before being acquired by Match Group in 2018. One of the most well-known dating apps alongside Tinder and Bumble, Hinge has changed a lot since its beginnings, from its paid tiers to AI features. Here's everything you need to know about Hinge.

Table of Contents

image of heart displayed on a laptop screen and Hinge logo displayed on a phone screen
What is Hinge?
hinge logo displayed horizontally on a smartphone
All your Hinge questions, answered
Hinge dating app screenshot.
Is Hinge really 'designed to be deleted'? I tested it to find out.
Mobile phone with heart symbol and icons surrounding it with heart symbols for messaging love
Comparing AI features for Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder
Couple on swing in a heart-shaped cave, looking out at mountains.
How to change your Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge location while traveling
person looking at phone
How do all the best dating app algorithms work?

Meet Our Experts

Rachel Thompson, sits wearing a dress with yellow florals and black background.
Rachel Thompson
Features Editor

Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.

A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.

Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.

anna iovine, a white woman with curly chin-length brown hair, smiles at the camera
Anna Iovine
Associate Editor, Features
 

Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky.

Headshot of a Black man
Chance Townsend
Assistant Editor, General Assignments
 

Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.

In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].

Mashable Image
Tabitha Britt
Freelance Writer

Tabitha Britt is an award-winning freelance journalist, editor, and SEO/AEO strategist. Aside from reviewing dating apps and sex toys for Mashable, Tabitha is also the founding editor-in-chief of DO YOU ENDO — a digital magazine by individuals with endometriosis, for individuals with endometriosis. She has a Master's degree in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from The New School for Social Research and is a grad of Sextech School. You can find more of her work in various online publications, including National Geographic, Glamour, Better Homes & Gardens, and Everyday Health.

Hinge

illustration of hookup app icons on a phone screen
The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt
How to refresh your Hinge account
Hinge users complain it 'isn't the same' app Mamdani met his wife on
Viral Hinge hack to escape 'Rose Jail' isn't worth it
Hinge won't ban users for a single piece of problematic content anymore
hinge logo on iphone Hinge tests facial recognition scans in these countries
man using smartphone at night in bed Tinder and Hinge recommended serial rapist to women, lawsuit claims
hinge founder justin mcleod in 2019 Hinge's founder is leaving Match to launch Overtone, an AI dating service
screenshot of AI convo starters on hinge Hinge launches AI feature so you stop starting the conversation with 'hey'
two people sitting down at a chess table and smiling Gen Z daters want deeper connections, but some use AI to date, Hinge reports

News

woman lying on couch looking at smartphone As Tinder struggles to attract paid users, one dating app is gaining popularity
bottom half of a woman's face as she uses a cellphone Dating apps to add age checks in the UK
headshot of esther perel, a white woman, next to screenshot of hinge prompts Hinge partners with Esther Perel for new prompts
screenshots on Hinge app showing Match Note feature Hinge users can now share private details with matches
An illustration of a dating profile displayed on a phone with hearts rising from it. I put AI photos on my Hinge dating profile. They were the most liked by far
A woman using smartphone at night under colorful LED lights Report: Match Group dating apps conceal assault cases
hinge screenshots of prompt feedback feature Hinge launches AI-driven prompt feedback to help users write better profiles
A person holding a mobile phone with the Hinge dating app logo on its screen. Hinge unveils new dating concept to help you get more dates in 2025
man looking at phone stressed with unanswered texts in the background Most ADHD daters feel misunderstood, Hinge says
A person is holding a mobile phone with the Hinge logo on its screen Hinge's top prompts going into cuffing season

More Hinge

How to have fun first dates this cuffing season, according to Hinge
By Anna Iovine
Couple on a date at a cafe
Hinge adds limit on unanswered messages
By Anna Iovine
your turn limits on hinge
Bumble, Hinge, and other apps had to fix privacy risk, study says
By Anna Iovine
hand holding key, another hand emerging from smartphone with a lock
The major dating apps are collapsing into each other
By Anna Iovine
a lab where tinder, bumble, hinge, and feeld are becoming one app
Hinge tests unanswered message limit to 'reduce burnout'
By Anna Iovine
Hinge on phone showing banner on top of chats stating, 'You're at the limit.'
New Hinge feature allows you to filter out words and emojis
By Anna Iovine
screenshots of Hinge Settings, Hidden Words, and Hidden Likes page
Viral Hinge message shows major problem with dating app culture
By Anna Iovine
collage picture of two arms holding smart phones with message bubbles and hearts coming out of them
It's easy to catfish strangers on dating apps
By Chance Townsend
An illustration showing a woman holding a phone that's displaying an online dating profile. The man in the photo is a bulky, square jawed white man. However, the man is revealed to be a catfish in a blue shirt
Gen Z should embrace being cringe to find love, Hinge says
By Anna Iovine
two people in robes and skincare face masks looking at the camera
Hinge wants to help you stay off your damn phone on a date
By Anna Iovine
two people in an embrace
Hinge reveals the top 25 successful prompts
By Anna Iovine
screenshots of hinge prompt
My Hinge match invited me to dinner and blocked me as I waited for our table
By Rachel Thompson
An illustration of a standing woman looking at a smartphone.
How to add your zodiac sign to your Hinge profile
By Meera Navlakha
Zodiac signs in a conceptual photograph.
Memes are a love language, Hinge says
By Anna Iovine
illustration of man emerging from dating app profile holding a microphone
The dos and don'ts of Hinge audio notes
By Mallory Minich
Illustration of someone whispering into another person's ear, with a heart-shaped sound wave between them
Hinge adds monogamy and non-monogamy labels for profiles
By Meera Navlakha
Hinge app screenshots showing relationship type feature.
Zodiac signs are coming to Hinge profiles
By Meera Navlakha
A person holding a phone screen with Hinge opened.
Hinge adds polls and video prompts to profiles
By Rachel Thompson
A person holds a phone in their hand and uses Hinge's new polls feature. The poll they're creating is titled "choose our first date" and features answers like "meet for happy hour" or "take a walk around Prospect Park"
Hinge launches LGBTQ dating guide to answer NFAQs
By Shannon Connellan
Hinge's new in-app educational guide for LGBTQ users is shown on a smartphone held in a hand.
Hinge launches fund to support therapy access for LGBTQ and BIPOC daters
By Meera Navlakha
Three phone screens displaying Hinge profiles of aspiring mental health advocates.
How to record voice notes and voice prompts on Hinge
By Rachel Thompson
hinge screenshot
Hinge launches voice notes and voice prompts
By Rachel Thompson
hinge on phone
Hinge rolls out new features including Roses. Yes, like 'The Bachelor'.
By Rachel Thompson
hinge screenshots
Hinge and Headspace launch free pre-date meditations to beat dating nerves
By Rachel Thompson
hinge screenshot
Hinge rolls out in-app video calls and reveals how users really feel about quarantine dating
By Anna Iovine
hinge screenshots
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