Hinge Introduces “Friend’s Take” Feature for Dating Profiles

On Wednesday, Hinge unveiled a new feature named Friend’s Take, which lets friends and family contribute testimonials to their loved ones’ dating profiles. It’s like bringing your support crew right into the app.

You know those times when you’ve asked a friend for help on your profile? Well, now they can directly add input via text, photos, or even videos featuring your memorable moments and shining qualities.

Ben Celebisic, the chief product and technology officer at Hinge, shared, “Dating is always a team effort, but until now, there hasn’t been an easy way for the people who know you best to participate in building your profile on Hinge.” That kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?

With this new option, users can access the Edit Profile section in their Hinge accounts to add a friend’s take. This creates a unique link to send out to personal connections. Up to ten friends or family members can share their stories, and surprisingly, they don’t even need to have their own Hinge profile to take part.

There are certain constraints though, like making sure each testimonial is less than 150 characters. Plus, users can review each friend’s contribution before including up to three on their profile.

This feature reflects a shift in the industry to attract Gen Z users, who, interestingly enough, seem to prefer more traditional ways of finding matches compared to Millennials. There’s been a noticeable drop in paying users for Bumble, while Match Group, which owns both Hinge and Tinder, is rebranding itself to reconnect with younger singles.

In a similar vein, Tinder, Match’s flagship brand, has now allowed users to showcase their music preferences and zodiac signs. Meanwhile, Hinge has introduced “Date Ideas,” inviting users to suggest specific activities like a stroll in the park at a certain time. It’s all about giving more tailored options.

The company is also recognizing users who show “thoughtful” behavior, such as actually reading profiles in full, by marking them as loyal with a purple heart next to their name. Sounds nice, right?

Jackie Jantos, the CEO, mentioned, “These are all very good components individually, but collectively they give a real signal of what we’re focused on.” It feels like they’re really trying to create a more engaging experience for everyone involved.