Provided by TSR Video for TSR Investigates
Hinge proudly advertises itself as the dating app “designed to be deleted.” The idea is that the app is meant to help users find their baes and move on accordingly! However, Black women may now have another reason for deleting it.
For years, there have been whispers about the limited number of “good men” on the app for Black women. Now, those whispers have escalated into full-blown chatter across social platforms.
On TikTok, Black women have been accusing Hinge of limited visibility for their profiles. Some have even said that their options expanded after changing their settings to identify themselves as “Caucasian” women.
So, is this an algorithm problem or a preference problem from men on the app? For this week’s episode of TSR Investigates, Justin Carter deep dives into those questions and even connects with a Hinge spokesperson to get answers!
After Justin Carter contacted Hinge about their algorithm, a spokesperson provided a lengthy response. The app’s algorithm is “designed with one goal,” the rep said, “to help daters find each other and get on out great dates.”
“We have an intentional app design that makes it easier for daters to express themselves and connect with people. Hinge’s algorithm, paired with our in-depth profiles, helps people more quickly go on dates where they can better assess chemistry in person,” the spokesperson added. “Currently, we’re setting up a date every two seconds.”
The spokesperson also emphasized how their free membership allows for connections on the app.
“We prioritize offering daters a free membership experience that allows them to easily and directly connect with potential matches. All daters receive a unique level of access, including the ability to see everyone who sends you a like so that you’re not mindlessly scrolling through profiles to find a match,” the spokesperson said.
As for how a user receives potential matches, the app shows users “who [they] are most likely to want to go on a date with and who is likely to want to go on a date” with them.
It’s all about “mutual compatibility” that relies on a number of factors.
Those factors include: “who meets the preferences you set, such as age range, distance, ethnicity, religion, family plans, vices, and more, whose preferences you also meet, the profiles you liked or skipped, the profiles you match with,” per the rep.
The app — which has been in use since 2012 — considers their membership experience “sacred.”
“…And it’s critical to us that all daters have an app experience that effectively supports them on their dating journey. In light of this, Hinge does not display ads and has never done so in its more than 10-year history,” the spokesperson told Justin Carter.
