What most people are surprised by is the fact that Hinge was actually launched in 2012 much like Tinder. Due to its recent popularity, many assume it’s a newly launched app. Hinge is a dating app that offers many features that makes it different from the other dating apps on the market such as Tinder and Bumble. 

Hinge focuses on utilising its robust algorithm to make sure that the matches provided to users are as close to their preferences as possible and that is the key USP of the app over its other competitors in the dating market. Hinge is now available in 21 countries around the world. 

You can share and comment on other users’ profiles to get their attention and turn it into a match which then allows you to go for a real-time chat. You can also prompt questions to the users who are visiting your profile. 

Custom Dating Apps Development

Dating apps allow users to connect and find a connection online. Dating apps uses real-time location tracking. Robust algorithms and a social network-like UI along with matchmaking features help users connect with each other. 

Users can upload their pictures and videos, write a short bio, ask quick questions to potential matches and get matches by connecting with other users. User activity is tracked and logged by the algorithm to keep refining itself and provide better suggestions and matches. 

The major challenges for developing a successful dating app are creating an algorithm that matches the right users and predicting user behavior to help the algorithm make the right matches and a UI/UX that enables users to quickly join the app and start using it. 

Let’s discuss developing a custom Dating app like Hinge and the key features it would include. Users also opt for dating app clone or Hinge app clone but there are some advantages to custom dating app development over those approaches.

Key Features for Hinge like Dating App

Instant Login

Users can login instantly by connecting their existing social media profiles. This will also help the algorithm to browse the social profile and find user’s connections and hobbies and interests for better matchmaking. 

User Bio

To attract matches the users can create their own bios and provide information on their likes and dislikes and the kind of potential partner they seek. They can also upload photos and videos of themselves for other users to see. 

Filters

Users can set filters to only get suggestions and matches based on the filters they have set. For example, filters based on:

• Location
• Gender
• Interests
• Age
• Q&A

Such filters help the algorithm to find the right matches and help the users to avoid users they might not be interested in. 

Report & Safety

Users who are feeling threatened or harassed can instantly report the profiles engaging in unethical activities and ask for safety whether they are on a date or chatting online. 

Chat

Users who are matched can initiate a chat and get to know each other better. For safety reasons, it’s better to only allow chats between users who are confirmed match to each other. 

Match List

The user can quickly access their match list to see who are they current and previous matches are, initiate chats or remove them from the match list if they want. 

Location Settings

The users can adjust their location, the radius from which they would like to see their matches and set up a new location when they move or are traveling. 

Support 

Users can get technical support, real-time help, and safety alerts when they are using the app using the support feature. Support should be real-time for at least the safety aspect, the rest of the support such as technical support can be through mail or business hours. 

Verification

Users can verify their profiles and filter for only verified profiles. In the backend, you can verify the profile by asking the user to submit a government-verified ID.

Monetization of the Hinge App Clone

 To monetize the app you can turn towards multiple methods. One method is the simplest! To use ads. You can advertise relevant ads inside the app or while users are swiping and get revenue from advertisers. You will need to balance between providing a good user experience and delivering ads. Ads that are intrusive or very frequent will lead to users logging out of the app and preferring other apps. Too few ads and advertisers won’t pay you. You need to strike a balance by capping the number of ads deliverable to a user per day. 

Secondly, you can offer a freemium app where some features will be free but many premium features can be available once the users pay out of their pocket for it. One thing to keep in mind is that users will migrate from free to premium so the free app version needs to be attractive enough for users to want more. The Freemium version may have features such as advanced matching, no ads, and wider location searches and preferences in the algorithm.

Development Pointers

Find Your Ideal User

You need to create an app based on your ideal user and the needs he or she might have. This way you can shortlist the important features you want to include in the app and design & develop the app accordingly. 

Select the Right Development Partner

Make sure to select the right development partner for custom dating app development. You need a development partner who can help you with ideally both the business aspects such as strategy and marketing and with the development cycle by providing custom app developers.

Native or Cross-Platform

Native apps are apps that are developed specifically for a particular OS such as Android or iOS and cross platform apps are apps that work across all devices regardless of the OS. Also, native apps can have some minor feature upgrades where cross platform apps might not. It is better to take this decision based on your future userbase and the OS they might be using and the expansion plans for your app. 

Conclusion

Creating a custom Dating app like Hinge is a potentially big opportunity to tap into the ever-burgeoning dating app market. The apps have found acceptance across the world in both liberal and conservative societies and are popular across regions and languages. As such you will have no problems generating a user base. The challenge will be to differentiate yourself from the massive competition in the market and sustain a user base while growing it. You need to have a chat with our app experts with an NDA to refine your idea further and launch the best possible dating app on the market.