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Val on this one
Why don't I get matches on Hinge?
You've been on Hinge for weeks, maybe months, and the likes tab is a ghost town. You start wondering if it's your face, your height, your job. Most of the time it's none of those. It's what your profile looks like in the two seconds she gives it, and that part is fixable this week.
Val's read
I swipe like everyone else does, on the couch, half watching something. Your first photo gets maybe two seconds. If it's a group shot, i don't know which one you are and i'm gone. If it's sunglasses and a hat, i can't see your face and i'm gone. If it's a clear, smiley photo of one guy in decent light, i stop and scroll. Then your prompts decide if i like or send a rose to the next guy. "i'm looking for my partner in crime" makes me sigh. Something specific and a little funny makes me want to comment.
What's usually costing you matches
- Photo one isn't a clear face. Group shot, sunglasses, far away, dark bar, car selfie.
- Your photos are old or all the same. Six selfies from the same angle tell her nothing about your life.
- Your prompts are generic. "Work hard play hard," "fluent in sarcasm," "just ask." She's read them four hundred times.
- You're liking everyone. Hinge shows your profile less when you like every single person without commenting. Be pickier and comment on fewer, better ones.
- Your settings are too tight. A narrow age range and two mile radius in a smaller city means a tiny pool.
The fixes, in order
- New first photo. Face and shoulders, daylight from a window or outside, real smile, nothing on your head. Have a friend take it. Here's how to look better in photos for dating apps.
- One full body photo and one doing something. Cooking, hiking, at a game, with a dog. It lets her picture the date.
- Rewrite every prompt to be specific. Not "i love food." Try "the way to win me over is a taco truck recommendation i haven't tried." Here are Hinge prompts for guys that get answered.
- Comment when you like. One line about something specific in her profile. Not "hey." See dating app opening lines.
Do and don't
Do
- Do lead with a clear, smiling, recent face photo.
- Do give her something easy to comment on in every prompt.
- Do send likes with a comment on profiles you actually like.
Don't
- Don't use the gym mirror selfie, even if you're proud of it.
- Don't write a prompt about what you don't want ("no drama," "don't be boring"). It reads bitter.
- Don't delete and remake your account over and over. Fix the profile first.
Texts you can send
can i borrow you for 20 min saturday? need a new first photo for hinge. coffee on me
the way to win me over is a taco truck rec i haven't tried yet
ok the dog in photo 3 is clearly running the household. what's his name
A woman's read
when your profile comes up, i'm not grading your face. i'm asking two things. can i see you clearly, and is there anything here i want to talk about? a normal looking guy with a good daylight photo and one funny specific prompt beats a hot guy in sunglasses with "just ask" every single time. give me your face and give me an opener. that's honestly most of it.
Your mission tonight
The move
Open Hinge tonight and look at your profile like she does, two seconds on photo one. If it isn't a clear, smiling, recent shot of only you, text a friend to take a new one this weekend. Then rewrite one prompt so it's specific enough that she could reply to it.
Getting matches but not dates?
That's a texting problem, not a profile problem. Start with why your conversations always die, and don't forget the apps aren't the only way. Here's where to meet women besides dating apps.
Questions guys ask
Why don't I get any matches on Hinge?
Usually the first photo and the prompts. If photo one isn't a clear, smiling, recent shot of only you, she swipes past. Generic prompts give her nothing to comment on. Fix those two before anything else.
Why did I stop getting matches on Hinge all of a sudden?
Often your profile is being shown less after an early boost wears off, or after liking a lot of profiles without commenting. Refresh your first photo, rewrite a prompt, and send fewer, better likes with a comment.
Do guys get fewer matches on Hinge than women?
Yes, most men get far fewer likes than women do, so it is not just you. That is why the profile matters so much. A clear face photo and specific prompts are what move the needle.
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