Jordan Lamont

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Socio-economic Analysis of Hinge

Hinge is a multimillion-dollar platform that has successfully commodified and digitised dating for
hundreds of thousands of singles worldwide (Curry, 2023). Their success can be attributed to the
platform's ingenious datafication accompanied by a Nobel prize-winning algorithm (Hinge, 2023).
Hinge has based its success on its mantra ‘designed to be deleted’, however, the algorithmic selection
mechanisms and in-app design greatly influence and limit user behaviour to the extent that Hinge can
be seen to ultimately aim to generate profit above all else, including their user’s needs. This is most
evident when understanding the Hinge standouts feature, whereby the profiles receiving ‘the most
attention’ (Hinge, n.a.) are compiled in one place. The problem with this feature arises when users’
profiles who are deemed ‘standouts’ by the algorithm become trapped behind this paywall. With only
the ability to like one standout profile a week, Hinge capitalises on users buying a rose to match with
these people. This scheme benefits hinge at the expense of users who likely get fewer matches on the
app due to others needing to pay to chat with them. In addition to this, profiles ‘getting the most
attention’ can be seen to be siphoned from the traditional swiping feed and hidden behind the
standout’s paywall as the online Hinge community openly expresses their discontent with the quality
of profiles featured in the traditional and free swiping method (RNoetzel, 2020). The app that rose to
success for its user-based focus of being ‘designed to be deleted’ (Hinge, 2023) has seemingly shifted
to focus on stakeholders and profits. As well as this, ethical and privacy concerns are raised with
Hinge's blatant capitalisation of standout user profiles. To understand Hinge more completely, one
must understand how the platform originated and disrupted the online dating sectoral market.

Founded in 2013, Hinge began as a way for CEO and founder Justin McLeod to meet women. Mcleod
designed Hinge to have a special emphasis on creating long-lasting connections as opposed to other
dating websites. Hinges' success can be attributed to its unique design and mission that resonated with
users as being a more serious dating site. McLeod’s design of Hinge set it apart from other dating sites
which understandably greatly contributed to its rise in popularity. Hinge’s famous mantra ‘designed to
be deleted’ (Hinge, 2023) encapsulates the platform's supposed design focus, as well as what it claims
to promise to its users. Later in 2019, the remainder of Hinge was sold by creator Justin McLeod to
Match Group who had previously held 51% of the company's shares (Hendelmann, n.a.). The dating
giant Match Group is well-known for owning numerous dating apps, including Plenty of Fish,
OkCupid, and Tinder. Match Group invested millions into the rebuild of the platform after realising
Hinges' potential which acted as the ultimate catalyst in broadening its worldwide reach and success.
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Hinge was a significant market disrupter as it reshaped online dating for millions. The app's strategic
design pulls the focus away from merely physical attraction by including prompts and polls that users
can better interact with (Li, 2023). This allows users' profiles to better represent their personality, as
well as an easy way to generate conversation starters between users as opposed to the outdated ‘hey’
or ‘how are you’.

Online dating has revolutionised modern dating and transformed it as a whole to suit the digital
landscape society now finds itself in today. Online dating in general has made it easier than ever to
meet people whom you would probably never come across in your everyday life. Hinge wasn’t a
pioneer of online dating like Tinder; However, it entered the market sector as its niche that stood out
and offered users a different, yet still similar dating experience. Hinge understood that the common
problem with online dating at the time was that many people weren’t taking the experience seriously,
and those who were looking for serious love and relationships were mixed with those who weren’t.
Hinge became the more serious dating platform where people who were truly looking for love could
find each other.

Hinge also sets itself apart from its competitors with its Nobel prize-winning algorithm (Hinge, 2023).
This algorithm uses datafication to realise important information necessary to form connections
between users’ profiles. This algorithm is unlike other dating websites as competitors such as Tinder
sorts profiles based on location, similar photos number of swipes, app activity, and usage (Tinder,
n.d.). Hinge categories users’ profiles depending on how they answered specific questions when
generating their profile (Hinge, 2023). These include but are not limited to height, gender, what
they're looking for in a relationship, all the way to if they have/want kids, and if they smoke, drink, or
use drugs (Hinge, 2023). A user’s ability to filter profiles by these factors is however limited to paying
Hinge users. These benefits as well as unlimited likes are how Hinge has prompted users to upgrade
to their now-called Hinge Plus subscription of $29.99 monthly (Vida Select, 2023).

Hinge’s platformization used datafication to categorise and commodify dating in modern society.
Hinge, furthermore, serves society as a medium in which people can chat online, meet, and generate
long-lasting romantic relationships. However, Hinge’s algorithmic selection mechanisms and in-app
design greatly influence the behaviours of users. Hinge's motto, "designed to be deleted," has been the
foundation of its success. Nevertheless, algorithmic selection methods and in-app design significantly
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impact and constrain user behaviour to the point where Hinge appears to prioritise profit over all other
considerations, including the requirements of its users.

This is evident in the Hinges ‘standouts’ feature, which is separate from the traditional swiping
method as it is a swiping feed of a more selective pool of users. Within the Hinge ‘standouts’ are the
profiles receiving ‘the most attention coupled with who we [Hinge] think you’ll like based on mutual
Dealbreakers and recent activity’ (Hinge, n.a.). However, the contrary to the official Hinge definition,
user communities refer to ‘standouts’ as simply having the most attractive Hinge members all in one
place, as well as being locked behind a paywall (RNoetzel, 2020). Standouts require a rose to be able
to match with someone, as opposed to a regular like in the traditional swiping feed. Users get one free
rose per week which they can send to one profile within the standouts feed. Where Hinge makes its
money is charging $4.99 for three roses, $49.00 for twelve, and $119.00 for 50 as seen in Appendix 1.
For those who wish to match with more than one standout per week must pay this hefty price.
Notably, even paying Hinge Plus members do not get roses as a part of their monthly subscription.

Users’ profiles are at a disadvantage if they are categorised into the standouts feed. This is because
only people willing to purchase roses or select you as their one weekly rose, can match with standout
profiles. This drastically slows the number of matches these users can receive. In addition to this, as
seen in Appendix 2, Hinge standouts are refreshed every 24 hours. This means that if users wanted to
match with a particular standout but didn’t have enough roses left, they would either have to pay or
run the risk of never seeing that user again. This subsequently works incredibly in Hinge’s favour;
Pressuring hinge users to pay more under time constraints and evidently influencing behaviours of
users.

In addition to this, because standout profiles are relocated into a different feed, the quality of profiles
in the traditional swiping feed at reportedly of way lower quality (RNoetzel, 2020). This is discussed
in length in Hinge community pages where users are confused about why within the traditional
swiping feed, they find less attractive profiles that they have nothing in common with. As well as this,
Hinge users find that these free swipe profiles aren’t within a close distance. Consequently, users are
compelled to go to the standouts to find their properly tailored matches featuring the best of the best.

Community pages dedicated to discussing the ins and outs of Hinge are unimpressed with the
platform’s blatant capitalisation of their standout users. It also raises major ethical concerns turning
people’s willingness into love into a rigged lottery, as even if they do pay to send a rose and end up
matching with that individual, there is still no guarantee anything will come from that interaction.
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The Hinge community has come up with hacks to try and get around Hinges paywall limitations
surrounding standouts. A popular thread on Tiktok as well as Instagram and Facebook ‘Hinge Hacks’
(datingcoachdieh, 2023), whereby users explain that if you press X or swipe no to your standouts,
there is a chance that they might again show up in the traditional free swiping feed. Many are
choosing to take this gamble rather than risk never seeing their profile again by doing nothing.

Hinges algorithm cannot decipher, sort, or even gauge user attractiveness simply due to it being
artificial intelligence. However, contrary to official statements from Hinge, user communities are
convinced the platform has found a way (Johnson, 2023). Hinge can do this as they track and monitor
each profile's interactions and engagements (Hinge, 2023). Profiles that get a considerably “high
amount of likes, swipes, and activity generated with other people indicates that the owner of the
profile is largely considered attractive by most of the user base” (Johnson, 2023). Understandably, the
most attractive Hinge users would fall into this category, thus Hinge can and does sort users'
attractiveness on this basis. Users “will be matched with people that are closer to the range of activity
that your profile is” (Johnson, 2023). Due to this, people who aren’t conventionally attractive will
subsequently get fewer matches and also find the quality of the available matches to be poor.

Another ethical consideration relevant to the topic is price discrimination. This is best defined in Evan
Gilberts' journal exploring the Monopolization of the Dating App Industry. Gilbert defined it as
‘targeting price hikes’ that act as a ‘pricing strategy’ in which ‘largely similar goods are priced at
differential rates depending on the individual consumers’ willingness to pay’ (Gilbert, 2019). Hinge
has applied this pricing strategy to their platform to be able to use the app to its full capacity and
match with exactly the people users want to, they must pay.

Due to the user limitations, constraints, and overall design of Hinge preferring profitability over user
experience, the dating app coined for being ‘designed to be deleted’ might be just that, but not for the
right reasons. Hinges' success lies in the platform's ingenious datafication, a Nobel prize-winning
algorithm, and unique design that separates itself from other dating websites. However, the platform
as users come to discover, is centred around algorithmic selection mechanisms with a severe focus on
profitability. Hinges design greatly influences and limits user behaviour as the platform exercises
control over almost every aspect of the platform. Hinge offers the standouts feature as a unique place
in which you can view the best profiles in your area; However, this feature puts users at a
disadvantage both ways. This being if you are a standout, you are essentially trapped behind a paywall
needing a rose to be freed. As well as, if you wanted to match with a standout or rather more than one,
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you must pay. This ingenious design Hinge has implemented into their platform highlights just how
successful corporations have been at capitalising off of people’s willingness to find love.

References
Curry, D. (2023, May 2). Hinge Revenue and Usage Statistics (2023) . Retrieved from Business of
Apps: https://www.businessofapps.com/data/hinge-statistics/

datingcoachdieh. (2023). Hinge Hacks. Retrieved from Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@datingcoachdiehl/video/7283652307663719710?
lang=en&q=hinge%20standouts%20paywall&t=1698378917044

Gilbert, E. M. (2019). Gilbert, E. Antitrust and commitment issues: monopolization of the dating app
industry. New York University Law Review, 884. Retrieved from
https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/
nylr94&id=902&men_tab=srchresults

Hendelmann, V. (n.a.). The Hinge Business Model – How Does Hinge Make Money? Retrieved from
ProductMint: https://productmint.com/hinge-business-model-how-does-hinge-make-
money/

Hinge. (2023). Hinge Mission Statement. Retrieved from Hinge: https://hinge.co/en-gb/mission

Hinge. (n.a.). What is Standouts? Retrieved from Hinge Help Center:

https://hingeapp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057625534-What-is-Standouts-

Johnson, D. (2023, June 23). Why Does Hinge Show Me Ugly? Retrieved from Techzillo:
https://techzillo.com/why-is-hinge-or-tinder-showing-me-ugly/

Li, E. K.-M. (2023, February). Social-Psychological Aspects of Privacy and Self-Disclosure on the Hinge
Dating App Profile. 8. doi:https://doi.org/10.7916/q7t1-b878

RNoetzel. (2020). New tab in Hinge: "Standouts". Retrieved from Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hingeapp/comments/jciino/new_tab_in_hinge_standouts/

Tinder. (n.d.). Powering Tinder® — The Method Behind Our Matching. Retrieved from Tinder:
https://www.help.tinder.com/hc/en-us/articles/7606685697037-Powering-Tinder-The-
Method-Behind-Our-Matching

Vida Select. (2023). Hinge Standouts Explained [What It Is & How To Use It!]. Retrieved from Vida
Select: https://www.vidaselect.com/hinge-standouts/#:~:text=%232%3A%20Standouts
%20are%20the%20most%20popular%20users%20in%20your%20area.&text=In%20the
%20Standouts%20tab%2C%20the,interacted%20with%20in%20the%20past.

Voll, M. E. (2023, 04 28). Cupid’s Digital Arrows: The Ethics of Algorithms in Mobile Dating Apps.
Student Journal of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information.
doi:https://doi.org/10.33137/ijournal.v8i2.41030
Appendix 1:

1. Prices of Roses on Hinge. Retrieved from the Hinge app. Jordan Lamont
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