Hinge is the antipasto on the menu at a Greek restaurant. Why this silly comparison? Because not only is the dating app Hinge super easy to use, it’s now become the anti Tinder.
Where Tinder has been exclusively known for hookups, and let’s be truthful–short lived, and low quality hookups at best, Hinge offers a breath of fresh air and much needed alternative to that nonsense. Hinge focuses on you liking photos or starting a conversation from one of 3 clever preset questions that must display big and boldly on your profile. Questions you answer are aimed at getting a conversation started. It gives you a chance at commonality, or if a relationship isn’t instantly formed, a chance at talking to someone you’d be destined to be besties with.
According to Wikipedia,
“With a goal to be seen as younger and cooler than Match.com or eHarmony but less superficial than Tinder, Hinge dispensed with Tinder-like swiping and used the slogan “the relationship app” The app has a “Your Turn” feature designed to remind a user to continue a conversation, decreasing ghosting. The company released Hinge Matchmaker in September 2017 to reinvent online dating “for people that missed out on the dating app craze“‘
It gives you the chance to change up your three answered questions any time you want also, which is an added bonus. The questions range from stating “two truths and a lie”, “never have I ever”, “my ideal date would be…”, “If I still had AIM, my away message would say..”, to “I geek out on..” The list goes on, and some are open ended or actually make it where you’re asking the person on your profile to debate with you or change your mind about something you think is the best. Lol. Most of the questions are actually smartly done to be open ended, or bare minimum, an easy ice breaker. They are an amazing part of the app. The app is mostly free with only in purchase add on’s to be able to send unlimited likes, see all that liked you, and access to the app’s ‘Experts’. But if you’re good without those boosts or add ons, you’ll be able to use most of the normal functionality of the app without any purchase.
Buzzfeed writer Lara Parker reviewed Hinge in the following delightful way: “Hinge’s thing is calling themselves the dating app for people who don’t want to be on dating apps, and honestly I RELATE. They say their app is ‘designed to be deleted‘ and that’s a campaign I can fucking get behind. On Hinge the profiles are a bit more built out — you have the 5-6 pictures, but then you also have to answer three questions and it gives you the ability to share more about yourself and learn more about others. You can react to people’s answers on the questions OR photos, and anyone can message anyone. You can’t send pictures, which is honestly probably for the best.”
If you are tired of the online dating apps out there, this is your antipasto. A salad that may still be a salad, but loaded with delicious cheese and olives and meat! This app is your anti Tinder, and can say it’s a jackpot find.
Tired of today’s no rules dating world? Integrate fun with life again. Integrate fun with finding a relationship again. Go from unhinged to stability. Go ahead and get Hinge.
A couple more Honorable mentions if Hinge is still not for you! And well, my unnecessary quick two sense on Tinder:
Bumble–balls strictly in the girls court with this app, and Buzzfeed even compares it to feeling like you’re “back in junior highI.” Buzzfeed says, “Bumble is really similar to Tinder in that you set parameters for who you’re looking for and then swipe them left or right. However, on Bumble, the ball is in the woman’s court. After matching with a woman, it’s on her to reach out and say hi. They have 24 hours to do this before the connection expires.”
In a different buzzfeed article, Parker says, “Bumble is a dating app created by one of the co-founders of Tinder who happens to be a woman. In straight matches (like mine), women are required to make the first move. The idea is that women will receive less creepy messages and be more in control of the conversation. There is also opportunity to answer questions about yourself, so I liked it for the most part because it was a pretty good indicator of whether or not someone and I would get along.”
Looking for complete freebies still?
Okcupid– okay, so haven’t used this dating site/app in what feels like is a century, but could actually be a decade at my age. Okcupid has an endless number of questions. If you can get past that, and the fact that anyone can message you, and when I say anyone, I mean anyone–including guys you already had failed dates with, couples looking for a third, or any number of other creepsters, you can use your discernment to weed out the pests, to find some hidden gems and treasures. It’s completely free too.
Tinder-pretty similar to what I wrote about Okcupid, but you must be okay with it being only about superficial flings with this app. The proximity and mileage tracker is a bit scary in it too, or annoying if nothing else. It actually shows you when someone can be less than a mile away or 5000 miles away–leaving room for you to know instantly if a message you sent is being ghosted or a big fat lie was sent your way. Also, going by my experience in 2016 with this app. Knowing today’s technology, a lot could’ve changed, even in 2 measly years.
-SG
