Dating App Hinge Now Lets Users Connect Over 'Shared Events,' Including Being Suspended From School
The new feature, called Story Cards, provides potential icebreakers for users who match on its app.
By Laura Entis •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Hinge, an online dating app that positions itself as the "less random Tinder," now allows users to connect over shared experiences such as "being a leftie" and "partying at Mardi Gras."
It's a move that further differentiate Hinge from Tinder, the 800-pound gorilla in the online dating market that has spawned hundreds of competitors. Hinge works like Tinder -- users swipe right to indicate their interest in a profile -- except members are only paired if they share at least one Facebook friend. The distinction is meant to hold users accountable by tethering their actions on the dating site to real world markers including last names, education, work and social circles.
Hinge CEO Justin McLeod says he hopes the Story Cards help users make offline connections more quickly. Users can swipe yes or no to 300 questions about past experiences, most informally selected based on Hinge employees' own past dating experiences. When a match is made on the app a few shared experiences -- shown in order of most to least unusual -- are highlighted.
Related: Sean Rad Takes Another Swipe as Tinder CEO
In a beta-test, Hinge said the Story Card feature increased two-way messages by more than 20 percent.
The company released the shared experiences "people are most likely to bond over" as well as those least likely to inspire further connection.
It's a strange compilation. "Being suspended from school" is apparently a good way to get a follow-up message or phone number, as is "Southeast Asia," "being a cyclist," "being a leftie," "Middle East," and "helicopter."
Meanwhile, users weren't likely to connect over "interest in board games," "sea creature attack," "love of cooking," or the annual Miami art show "Art Basel."
Related: A New Dating App for Divorcees Aims to Make the Second (or Third or Fourth) Time Around Smoother
In a press release, the company explains it thus:
The top bonding experiences tend to be: checkered pasts (like being suspended, partying, and streaking) and gender defying hobbies (like women who golf or fish, or men who like ballet). The least bonding experiences tend to be hobbies that aren't very social (like comics, baking or art and theater).
Below are complete top 10 lists of what Hinge users are most and least likely to bond over.
People are most likely to bond over
1) Being suspended from school
2) Southeast Asia
3) Partying to Mardi Gras
4) Being a cyclist
5) Being a leftie
6) Middle East
7) Golf
8) Fishing
9) Helicopter
10) Farmers
People are least likely to bond over:
1) Interest in board games
2) Sea Creature attack
3) Love of cooking
4) Interest in comics
5) Having tattoos
6) Art Basel
7) Africa
8) College Athletes
9) Water Sports
10) Artists
