Zohran Mamdani met his wife on Hinge — is it any different from other dating apps?

When celebrities choose an app with which to look for a partner, they often go for Raya, also known as “Tinder for famous people.” But it seems that in the world of politics, it’s hardly the app of choice. Zohran Mamdani, who on June 24 swept the Democratic primaries for New York City mayor, met his wife, the Syrian artist Rama Duwaji, on Hinge. “There is still hope in those dating apps,” he said laughingly on The Bulwark podcast. Indeed, Hinge was one of the first dating apps to integrate political affiliation into its algorithm, enabling users to sort their suitors by ideology.

The love story between the mayoral candidate and the creative has inspired many New Yorkers to return to their quest for love on dating apps, which were definitely in need of a promotional boost. So said Forbes last year when its survey found that 78% of those who were looking for a partner felt mentally and physically exhausted from using such apps. “I still hold out that type of hope, like maybe I am going to find my person on Hinge,” Akiera Charles, whose friends have had digital dating success, told The New York Times. “If all of these people around me are meeting their person on Hinge, there has to be something in this app.” What could it be?

Jackie Jantos, Hinge’s president and chief marketing officer, says that authenticity is fundamental in establishing a real connection. “We want people to feel empowered to share who they are and what truly matters to them, which is why offering support and guidance with their profiles continues to be an important focus for us,” she says.

A spokesperson for the application explained to Mashable why they see Hinge as being unique. “Our app is intentionally designed to help people get out on great dates. “Every feature is created to help daters be more intentional about who they are, who they like, and why they like them. Additionally, we have an internal team of PhD researchers and behavioral scientists who study how to solve user problems and optimize the app to help our community safely and efficiently meet in person,” they said.

That’s a reference to Hinge Labs, which analyzes users’ experiences starting from when they download the application up until they go out on a date or erase their profile, in order to analyze the elements that can make a difference in finding love. One result of this investigation has been a new AI feature that can improve responses when it comes time to chat via “Prompt Feedback”.

“With ‘Prompt Feedback’, we’re intentionally leveraging AI to provide personalized coaching during a key moment for daters – making a great first impression on their profiles. For years, our research team has identified what helps people discover compatibility that leads to dates, and now daters can apply these insights through specific, tailored advice,” says Justin McLeod, Hinge founder and CEO.

He did warn Fortune that the app’s intention is not replace human connection with chatbots. “But it can facilitate getting us out on a date, and then it can help point us in the right direction, and even help maybe coach us along the way,” McLeod said. “I think we’re going to move away from the world of feeling like you’re on a social platform hunting through hundreds, if not thousands, of people to find your person, to a world where you feel like you’re working with a personal matchmaker and you’re just getting a better sense of who you are,” he continued.

A Wells Fargo poll found that 85% of respondents avoided Tinder due to its reputation as an app geared towards hook-ups, an impression that only 28% had of Hinge. Patricia R., a 37-year-old graphic designer, agrees with that perception.

“On Tinder, people get straight to the point. On Hinge, you have to respond to a series of questions, so people’s profiles are more elaborate. I would even say that it’s a cool app where you can meet people from around the world. I admit that what attracted me at first is that it allows you to filter for height, because I like tall men,” she told EL PAÍS. (Tinder has also added filters that indicate height.) “Although I’m still single, I’ve had a situationship thanks to the app. Although, one of the worst dates of my life was ‘the fault’ of another application, Bumble,” she says. “The guy looked completely different from his profile photo!”

Hinge makes an effort to avoid cases of catfishing and since 2022, has required users to verify their profile with a selfie, which provides an extra step towards helping users to feel sure that their prospective partner will be the same person that appears in their profile photos. “That allows them to make more informed decisions about who they interact with. In the case that users suspect some kind of fraud, we encourage them to report it so that our trust and safety team can quickly evaluate and take any necessary steps,” says the app’s team.

In Spain, Hinge was the fourth most downloaded dating app in 2024 and, as its director of relationship science Logan Ury tells EL PAÍS, the team identified that one of the most common issues that lead to app burnout was messages that were left on read. “44% of users say that lack of response is one of the principal challenges on apps. That’s why we launched a feature called ‘Your Turn Limits’, our ambitious initiative to help solve the problem,” she says.

When users reach their limit of eight unanswered messages, they have to respond or close one of their ongoing conversations before matching with someone new. Ghosting is so common in our day and age that even celebrities have admitted to falling into the habit. Actress Teri Hatcher has copped to being one of those people who leave a conversation unfinished.

“I did get kicked off of Hinge. There [were] enough people that I did not respond to, because they would text me things like, ‘Are you still real and spectacular?’ And I’m like, ‘OK, that’s not who I want to date.’ It was probably silly to even try it [the app]. But I was kind of trying to say to the universe, ‘I’m open. I’m not afraid.’ I was trying to do that, but I think it’s the wrong place for me,” said the star of Desperate Housewives.

Security is another key issue for the application, whose “Hidden Words” feature offers users the chance to hide words, sentences and emojis from the likes and comments they receive, which helps to reduce unwanted interactions and increase security and trust on eventual dates.

Research has found that online harassment has increased across all digital spaces, especially for vulnerable groups like women, BIPOCs and the LGBTQ+ community, and Hinge has also instituted a feature to avoid undesirable interactions. “We believe in creating a space in which everyone can feel safe and respected, which is essential for creating genuine connections,” says Jeff Dunn, vice president of trust and safety at Hinge.

Though the app is free, Hinge+ does offer premium options, like being able to send unlimited likes and configure more dating preferences, starting at $16 per month for six months or $32.99 for a single month. Tinder and Hinge are both part of Match Group, and while user fees on Tinder went down by 9% between the first quarter of 2023 and that of 2024, fees on Hinge increased during the same period.

The application also allows for pre-packaged romantic gestures, like sending a rose to someone you’re attracted to in order to let them know how much you like their profile. Each user can send one for free every week, but the rest cost $3.99 per unit. Mamdani says that there’s still hope in dating apps, but Patricia R. offers one clarification to keep in mind: “In reality, I think that what everyone wants on Bumble, Tinder and Hinge is sex. Me included!” Not everything was going to be cuddling and roses…

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