Before we dive into possible reasons you aren’t getting matches on Hinge, I want to make sure you are an experienced Hinge user.
I’ve seen guys complaining they get zero matches, only to find their search settings were set to find non-smoking 51-year-olds within a 2-mile radius. No wonder the app was coming up with nothing!
So you’re new to the app and things have never really gotten going for you, you need to know how Hinge works. Get the basics down before you start tearing your hair out.
But if you’ve been on Hinge for a while and you think you’re doing everything right, then you need some new ideas. In this article, we’ll find out why you’re not getting matches and exactly how to fix it.
Why Do I Get No Matches On Hinge?
If you’ve been using Hinge for a while and aren’t getting many matches, there could be a few reasons behind the issue and it’s good to ask the question.
So you want to know: why do I get no matches on Hinge? If you’re getting no matches, it could be that your Hinge profile isn’t good enough, you’ve chosen the wrong pictures, or your search settings are messed up.
These are the common reasons for getting no matches on Hinge:
- There’s nobody nearby.
- Your prompts are full of red flags.
- Your photos are terrible.
- You’ve narrowed your search settings too far.
Hinge is the app that’s designed to be deleted, but it’s also designed to encourage some pickiness because you get so few daily likes – only 8 to be exact.
Before we start our deep dive into why you aren’t getting matches on Hinge and how you can get more, let’s take a look at what counts as a lot of Hinge matches and what counts as not many at all.
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How Many Matches On Hinge Are Normal?
‘Normal’ is always tricky to define, so I can’t say for sure what is normal in terms of Hinge matches. I can look at some data, though, as well as anecdotal evidence of how many matches Hinge users report.
So how many matches on Hinge are normal? Anything between 1-14 matches per week can be expected on Hinge. If you’re using the app heavily, in a busy urban area, you can expect one or two matches every day at most.
That’s been true in my experience and it matches with Reddit users. (That is adjusted to remove the humble braggers claiming 50 matches a day. Nobody’s buying it, guys.)
To get daily double-digit matches on Hinge you would have to be extremely swipe-happy, have Hinge+ or HingeX yourself, and swipe right on an awful lot of users who also pay for Hinge Premium.
This is because Hinge only allows basic users 8 likes a day (but subscribers, formerly known as Hinge Preferred users, get unlimited swipes of course).
Compare that to the 100 daily swipes offered on Tinder’s free service, and the reports about Bumble’s top-secret daily swipe limit being somewhere between 25 and 50, and you start to see why matches are rarer on Hinge.
The idea, of course, is to make you more selective, so that when matches happen they are meaningful connections.
There are loads of factors on top of the swipe limit that determine how many matches you get on Hinge, and how often you get a match. Without even taking your dating profile into account, you improve your chances of getting matches if…
- You have a wide age range set (as long as you are realistic about who you are likely to find attractive enough to like).
- You live in a well-populated area, particularly a medium to large city.
- The gender ratio is in your favor: on Hinge, around 64% of US users are men and 36% are women. A small minority of users are nonbinary (options for male and female identities within the male/female categories such as ‘trans man’ are counted in the male/female percentages).
15 Tips Getting For More Hinge Matches
My advice for getting more matches on Hinge is similar to my advice for getting more matches on other swiping sites like Bumble and Tinder.
But because of Hinge’s swipe limit, the detail encouraged in profiles, and the fact that other users can respond to your pictures or prompt answers, you have to put in even more effort on Hinge than you would on other dating apps.
Just like on other apps, the Hinge algorithm takes a lot of what you do (and don’t do) on the app into account when deciding who to show your profile to.
That means you have to impress the algorithm first, with a fully filled-out profile and regular use of the app, and then you also have to impress other users (and those users swiping right will also impress the algorithm in turn).
So, if you’re asking ‘How do I get more matches on Hinge?’ here are my tips for getting more likes:
1) Use Hinge Regularly. Hinge doesn’t strictly use an ELO score, but the Hinge algorithm is somewhat similar. That means that regular use of the app bumps you higher up in other users’ feeds.
2) Take new photos. If you aren’t getting matches, your photos aren’t good enough. I don’t mean, though, that you should take a bunch of selfies. There is very little more tragic in online dating than a man who has six mirror selfies as his Hinge pictures. Plus, a bunch of pictures that are almost the same make you look like a bot or a catfish.
3) Post varied photos. To continue with the photo advice, switch things up between pictures! Show various aspects of your personality. A silly Halloween costume pic, a hiking pic, a party pic (not drunk though). And sure, if you have one to hand, a PG-level thirst trap.
4) Choose the right first pic. According to a group of neuroscientists, a good dating app profile picture is: of only you, no other people; has no facial obstructions, like sunglasses; high contrast; close up. So, in normal people’s terms, that would be a photo of you, up close, with nothing in the way. And obviously, you should look your best.
5) Think carefully about your prompt answers. Some can be funny, to show your sense of humor, while others should indicate a bit of depth. The whole point of Hinge is that, with prompts, you can’t just rely on a funny bio to attract matches. What works on Tinder doesn’t always work on Hinge. My advice is to include one funny answer, one ‘get to know the real you better’ answer, and one ‘things you like’ answer.
6) Get a second, even a third opinion. I know it can be a bit cringe, but asking a friend to look at your profile and give you tips can really help you get more Hinge matches. Even better, if you’re on Hinge looking to match with women then ask a friend who happens to also be a woman.
How Girls Can Get More Hinge Matches
Honestly, men outnumber women on Hinge. It is likely, as a woman, that you’re looking for more quality matches rather than just more matches (assuming you’re swiping on men).
If matches, in general, are the issue, follow all the tips above, and also:
7) Check your Hinge search settings. Make sure you haven’t accidentally made them really limiting, like a one-year age range and a one-mile distance.
8) Read over your profile for actual mistakes. Lots of typos, or generic prompt answers might make guys think that you’re another fake profile.
9) Consider moving somewhere a bit busier! That Oregon farming town sure is cute, but no one is on Hinge.
If you need more quality matches as a woman:
10) Make it clear what you are looking for in your profile. Potential matches aren’t mind readers – if you want hookups and are getting serious young men offering you flowers, there’s an easy fix. Being clear in your profile. In words.
11) Perfect your search settings: Are they maybe a little too lax? Raising the age minimum sometimes gets rid of the youngest and most over-eager Hinger users.
And if none of this is enough, or you want to try out a more female-friendly space than Hinge (or just a change, maybe) you can also give my article on the best dating apps for women in 2023 a read.
How Guys Can Get More Hinge Matches
As a guy, if you’re not getting many matches on Hinge you may well be making one of several common mistakes. If none of the general tips for getting more matches seem to apply to you, you may need to:
12) Choose photos that start conversations. This is a bit of a generalization, but as a rule women on dating apps are looking to have interesting conversations that aren’t just about looks. If you’ve recently been up a mountain, to the zoo, or on an amazing trip, that’s something to talk about!
13) Avoid putting up red flags. This includes things like bragging about past relationships, too much innuendo, angry and negative answers to prompts, and anything sexist.
14) Be thoughtful about prompt answers. Yes, right down to the spelling and grammar! Remember, women tend to be sick of men coming on too strong, lying, getting angry… so show the best you possible in your prompts.
15) Have thick skin. Not everyone is going to swipe right. Not everyone who swipes right will click with you. That’s okay! Don’t let yourself get down and give up on the app, or, worse, direct your irritation at a match. Nothing good ever came of that sort of thing.
What Should You Never Do On Hinge?
Of course, there are absolute no-nos on all dating apps. They are similar on Hinge and on Bumble and Tinder, but as Hinge allows more space to be yourself it also allows more space to make mistakes. On Hinge you should never:
- Upload photos that aren’t of you. Why would you do that if you want matches? One picture of your dog is fine, a random selection of your friends, furniture, and books you like… yeah… that’s a no.
- Post photos with an ex. Or, worse, a current significant other! And remember, no one can tell if your best opposite-sex friend is your squeeze or not, so no picture of the two of you hugging. Or even worse, you as the best man standing next to the bride at a wedding. There’s not much difference between a groom’s outfit and everyone else in his party.
- Write only short, one-word prompt answers for every prompt. Maybe you want to seem cool and mysterious. But you don’t, you just seem like a withholding asshole.
- Only answer prompts with heartfelt essays. Your potential matches want a bit of information on who you really are, but honestly, not your life story. Save something for the date.
- Be too demanding. You cannot lay out exactly what you want from another person in your bio or prompt answers. You’ll never get exactly that, and you’ll sound really immature. Your profile is about you. Maybe what you want next, but not a list of prerequisites for a date.
- Be a sleazebag! Yes, this includes wildly swiping right on every woman out there. Or commenting on photos with something …well …sleazy. If it feels a bit iffy, just don’t do it.
Hinge General Rules
Just like on all dating sites, there are some basic rules you need to follow on Hinge. There are the ‘being a normal human’ rules like:
- Be yourself – just a really great version of yourself.
- Put effort in if you want to get anything out of the experience.
- Be clear and honest about what you want. Hookups? Fine, just be upfront. Love? Great. Then be selective, pay your matches attention, and let them know what’s up in terms of your expectation.
- Don’t be a creep, even as a joke.
- Show interest in your matches. They aren’t mind readers, and there’s no ‘treat them mean to keep them keen’ in online dating. They will just forget about you and move on.
Then there are the actual rules. As in, the Hinge terms and conditions. They include:
- You must be at least 18 years old;
- You don’t have more than one account on our Services;
- You must not previously have been removed from our Services by us, unless you have our express written permission to create a new account.
The rules include other classics, like no sex offenders, no catfish, no one ‘on any list of individuals prohibited from conducting business with the United States.’ Actually, that last one sounds like it belongs in a spy movie. But overall they’re your usual terms and conditions.
Except one! Hinge’s Ts&Cs also include the clause ‘You must be looking for a meaningful relationship’, but ‘meaningful’ is subjective! As long as you aren’t stringing anyone along, you’ll be fine. To see the full list of terms and conditions, take a look at Hinge’s website.
Is Hinge Rigged?
No dating app is ‘rigged’, but they do all have algorithms that take a whole bunch of factors into account. They also sometimes get buggy and, depending on where you are and how you behave on them yourself aspects of them, can be irritating.
So is Hinge rigged? No, Hinge isn’t rigged, but there are tricks to using it. Make sure your profile is not only complete but interesting, varied, and shows who you are. Consider upgrading if you are in a position to pay for HingeX.
On Hinge more than other apps, you are much more likely to get matches if you pay for premium. Increasingly, over the last few years, the app has become somewhat ‘two tier’. HingeX gives premium users a huge boost in the algorithm, so free users are at a disadvantage.
So, if you’re serious about finding the one it might be worth coughing up for HingeX! You don’t have to upgrade to get matches on Hinge, but it helps get more.
Hinge also knows how often you are swiped right on, as well as how often you swipe right. This means that more attractive profiles float to the top of the pile. Or rather, are pushed up there by the algorithm.
But the most attractive profiles aren’t necessarily the hottest people! Hinge doesn’t actually know how hot you are. Follow the steps in this article as a starting point to a great ‘attractive’ profile.
Final Thoughts
Online dating can be frustrating at times so if you’re getting fewer matches, or even none at all, you need to fix something. Whether that’s your search settings or red flags on your profile, it’s on you to find out.
After refreshing your settings, it’s a good idea to go for a profile overhaul anyway. Hinge asks a lot of its users – you have to add six profile pictures and you need quality prompt answers.
So check out my 6-Step Tinder Tune-Up. It will walk you through a profile re-do and it’s not just for Tinder. A profile makeover will open the door to a whole world of Hinge matches.
