You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that your opening line can make or break a conversation. In fact, studies have shown it takes people less than 1/10th of a second to make a first impression on your photo alone. This makes nailing your opening line even more important.
Here’s the thing, dating app openers can be a nightmare. However, it doesn’t have to be that challenging either. We’ve compiled the best Hinge pickup lines. These openers make it much easier to grab your match’s attention and get their interest. And hey – there are no rules against using these over and over once you realize how effective they are.
Hinge’s spokesperson tells their viewers to avoid starting with a bland ‘hey.’ This isn’t enticing, and it’s likely your match has already received plenty of them today.
Instead, make sure your first message is casual, unique, and fun. Open-ended questions are especially useful for starting a conversation.
Here we’ve rounded up a couple of the best hinge openers:
1. Ask a Food-Related Question
The perfect icebreaker is a food-related question. After all, every person on the planet needs food – and the odds of finding someone that doesn’t enjoy food is slim to none. It’s instantly relatable.
If your potential date has a certain type of food-related picture on their profile, you can reply to it with something like: ‘You like Mexican food? Me too! What’s your favorite dish?’ or something like ‘Steaks are an absolute treat, where’s your favorite place to grab a bite from? Not only can this spark conversation, but it can also lead to a perfect first date.
2. Ask an Outside-the-Box Question
Instead of opting for a safe and generic question, opt for an original one. A unique hinge opener such as, ‘You’re having your portrait painted- what’s your backdrop’ is sure to grab your potential date’s attention. Your match may answer with something conventional like a ‘brick wall?’ Or they’ll reply with something crazy like “an alien spaceship’. Either way, it’s a fun way to start talking to someone.
What better way to connect with a person than over favorite movies or characters? Maybe they love Disney movies, or maybe they are obsessed with your favorite series. If so, you can plan a movie night around a mutual interest. Perfect!
So, shoot them a text, for instance, ‘Lord of the Rings? Which part is your favorite?’ Or ‘You’ve read Percy Jackson? You probably hate the movie then, right?’
4. Chat About Similar Athletic Interests
Maybe your potential partner is posing on a sports field, or maybe they’ve added their favorite team in their profile. Either way, this is the perfect chance for you to reach out.
Reply with either saying, ‘You’re a dancer? What styles do you enjoy the most?’ Or maybe they’re a football fanatic, in which case you can say, ‘Seattle Seahawks? Same here! Did you watch the match last week?’ This shows you’ve taken the time to view their profile rather than swiping because they have a nice face.
5. Ask a Personal But Not Too Personal Question
Hinge offers questions like ‘how did your parents meet?’ Meaning it’s the perfect opening for you to send a reply to the profile owner.
Maybe their parents met at a party, or maybe they started talking online. Either way, it’s a great way to continue conversing with them.
Don’t go too deep right away. This can be an extreme turn-off for some people and can do quite the opposite of what your intentions may be.
Asking someone, where they’re from, can open up a whole new opportunity to learn a little bit more about them. People love to talk about themselves, and oftentimes have strong feelings about their hometown (good or bad).
Ask them something like, “I see you’re from Wisconsin. What do you miss most about the country?” Pretty soon you’ll find you’re talking about popular attractions or what it was like to ride a tractor to school.
7. Ask Them About The Highlight Of Their Week:
There’s not much worse than going on a date with someone who is pessimistic and negative about life. Those kinds of people can bring the mood down in an instant.
Simply write, “What’s been the best part of your week so far?”
While this opening question might seem innocent enough, it helps you see what their day-to-day life is like, as well as get a glimpse into their view of the world. Win-win situation!
8. Bring Up Their Pets:
Think about it… who doesn’t like talking about their pets? This opener is guaranteed to get a response from a match and can be one step away from a date at the dog park. Ask them about what breed their pet is, or how old they are. It can spark an instant connection as you bond over your love for your fur baby!
9. Ask About Their Job / Career:
People love to talk about their jobs. Especially if they went to school and have dedicated most of their time to their career, this can open the floodgates pretty quickly. Ask them how they got into their career field, or how long they’ve been doing it.
They may even share a story of how their mother was a dentist, which inspired their passion for the field of teeth. You can learn a little more about their work-life balance while getting to know them better!
10. Show Interest In Their Travel Pictures:
“You’ve been to Yellowstone? That’s on my bucket list! What was your favorite part of your trip?”
Take a look through their profile. If someone is a big traveler, or even if they’ve taken a few cool trips here and there, they’re likely to showcase it. Ask open-ended, relevant questions! They’ll likely want to talk about some of their best memories as they reminisce on their time at the Grand Canyon.
11. Throw In Some Nostalgia:
Everyone enjoys reminiscing on the good old days. You know what I’m talking about. The days before the pandemic, before gas prices were sky high, and before we all grew up and had to start paying bills. This is particularly true for people born in the 90s. The last era before the world was overcome with technology.
Throw out a question like, “What was the first song you ever downloaded on Limewire?” or, “Longest record for keeping a Tamagotchi alive: go”. This can often crack a smile as your match thinks back to AIM screen names and the era of Britney Spears.
12. Ask Them About Their Phone Wallpaper:
It’s been said you can learn a lot from someone based on their phone background. Whether this is a pet, a child, or a memorable photo, almost everyone has something special to look at when they look down at their phone. This question can help you get to know what their priorities in life are, or what they value the most.
13. Don’t Be Afraid To Use Emojis:
No, I’m not talking about the eggplant one.
Emojis can make people seem more open and fun. Use emojis to your advantage! Don’t overdo it, but even sending the first opener with a series of emojis to tell a story can be a fun way to grab someone’s attention.
The mobile dating app Clover conducted a study on which emojis received the most response from women. Here are the results:
💁😋😛😏 💦🙊🙈😍😈🌞
They conducted the same study with men:
😏😜😂😌👌💕🙃😩😝🙈💋
If you really want to make your prompts pop, add a few emojis for emphasis and to draw attention.
14. Ask About Their Spotify Favorites:
“Out of all the music on your Spotify, who would you be most excited to see in concert?”
Bonus points if they tell you about their ‘Spotify Wrapped’ – a feature for Spotify users that shows how their music tastes line up with the rest of the population, as well as showcase some of their most played hits throughout the year.
This can open the door for similar tastes in music, allowing for great conversation to flow. Potential concert date in the future?
Remember the days you’d have to burn a CD with 12 of your favorite songs to get your crush’s attention? This act of affection is still alive and well with Spotify’s ability to share playlists – the most classic way to show someone you’re into them.
15. Play a Game: “Would You Rather…”
Games are always a safe way to break the ice. It’s fun and lighthearted and doesn’t require too much effort to get a response. You’ll learn a little bit more about them while keeping it surface level. “Would you rather plan a vacation over a month – or book a last-minute flight?” Even a question as simple as this can help you learn whether they’re a thorough planner or an “on a whim” kind of person.
Here are a few other suggestions:
Would you rather star in a romantic movie or a comedy?
Would you rather live in the middle of New York City, or on the outskirts of Kentucky?
Would you rather spend all day at home or all day outdoors?
Would you rather plan a date or have every detail a surprise?
16. Keep It Light: “If You Were President For a Day What Would You Do?”
This is another simple way to break the ice without coming across as overly personal.
Every kid has daydreamed while in class about what they would do if they had all the power for a day. As adults, we still imagine a world in which we made all the rules.
Ask them a silly question like this and you’re likely to see what matters to them the most. If they had all the power in America for just one day and they choose to use that to feed all homeless animals, you’ve got yourself a four-legged lover without having to even ask.
17. Respond To Their Profile Prompts Directly:
One of the unique features of Hinge is the ability to respond to photos and prompts directly, rather than just directly messaging the person. This can give you a leg up in conversation if you’re not the best at making general small talk. Not only this, when you reply directly to their profile prompts or photos, you’re showing them you took the time to actually look at their profile, rather than just mindlessly swiping right.
A few examples may be:
Travel photo: “I see you’ve been to Europe and South America. What country is next on your list?”
Activity photo: “I also love Lake Minnetonka! What’s your favorite part about being on the boat all day?”
College photo: “Good old MSU… What did you like most about going there?”
Take the time to look through their profile and find anything you might resonate with. Does he or she play an instrument? Even if you aren’t a professional, you could spark a conversation over your failed attempts at trombone.
Let’s say she’s posing with a deep dish Chicago pizza, try starting out the conversation like: “Deep dish pizza is my favorite too. Let’s settle this once and for all… pineapple on pizza? Yes or no?”
When you take the time to read through someone’s profile it shows you care about what their life is like outside of a dating app. This can lead the way to introducing yourself into that life.
19. Ask About Their Most Unpopular or Controversial Opinion:
“Small parties are better than big parties.”
“Beyonce is overrated… agree or disagree?”
“Pickle juice is delicious… yes or no?”
Starting off with a few of your unpopular opinions can be a fun way to test the waters. You can try going for a more personal one, like “technology has done more harm than good” however as an opening line you may want to keep it more surface level. Avoid mentioning sensitive topics such as religion or politics until meeting in person.
You can get to know your match a little better, as well as feel out if you’re compatible in certain areas.
20. End With a Question:
Don’t ever start an opening line with something they can easily ignore. Even if you’re the best catch in the sea, without a prompt to reply they may quickly read your response and move on to the next. But avoid asking too many questions because that can push the other person away. It’s a delicate balance that takes time to master.
When you ask an interesting, open-ended question instead of making a statement, you have something to keep the conversation flowing. Statements like ‘You look gorgeous’ or ‘You have nice abs’ will only result in one-word responses.
Here’s an example of a close-ended question: “Are you having a good day today?”
Not much else besides “yes” or “no” has to be said by the other person.
Now, let’s re-write that as an open-ended question: “What’s been the highlight of your day?” This leaves room for the conversation to flow.
21. Bonus Tip: Never Start with a Hey!
Some extensive research was conducted by Hinge copywriters and data analysts. Here they composed more than 100 unique message openers for 22% of all users. These messages contained different subjects and were of varying lengths.
Recipients received several selections, which they could use on their matches. After about a month and eight million impressions, they received valuable results. These showed that users opting for personalized openers were better at conversing than those sending ‘Hey.’
Thus, try to craft unique openers without being cringe-worthy or gross, and you can count on catching people’s attention.
Your opening line is all about getting to know the other person without being too offensive or intrusive. Leave details like religion and politics because you can discuss other details.
Here is a bonus list that features some creative Hinge openers to spark a connection right away:
You’re not someone who cries during the movies?
What’s the most embarrassing thing about your childhood?
What’s your favorite drink?
What’s your idea of a perfect date?
I see you’re from Memphis. What was it like growing up there?
Your success depends a lot on how much attention you pay to the other person’s profile and pictures. For example:
You have such a cute dog. Will you bring him along on our first date?
Your bio cracked me up. Honestly, I haven’t laughed this much for a long time.
You can also show off your abilities by impressing your match with your intellect. Make an astute observation and ask a question that turns into an exciting conversation.
Is that a quote from [author]?
I see a [brand name] sofa in the background. I love their furniture because it’s so durable.
Again, it’s about engaging the user directly. Make jokes, ask questions, or be as interesting as possible to warrant a response from your match.
Hinge has conducted in-depth research, analyzing data received from their consumers to help them answer the dreadful question, ‘what are the best hinge openers?’ Their study boasted results that:
Men are 98% comparatively more likely than women to respond to invitational and assertive messages. Thus, asking them out for a drink or for food.
On the flip side, food-related opening lines are 40% more likely to get a reply.
Moreover, research shows that if you don’t reply to your potential date within six hours, their response rate drops. While the girls’ response rate can go down 5%, a guy’s goes down by 25%. This means men’s attention span is shorter.
Moreover, depending on their age, Hinge suggests you switch up conversation starters. Those between 18 and 23 prefer surprising openers, ‘you’re having your portrait painted — what’s your backdrop?’ 24-to-28-year-olds prefer questions based on lifestyle like, ‘Better adventure: Rock climbing or canyoneering? Those aged 29 to 34 prefer personal questions such as, ‘two truths and a lie; ready, set go.’ The 35+ age crowd is more likely to reply to pop-culture references like, ’Taylor Swift or Katy Perry?’
Hinge Conversation Examples
Now that you’ve learned some great openers to use, let’s examine some actual Hinge conversations and how they could be improved.
Example 1:
First off, the user shouldn’t reply back with “Hey”. He is lucky his match responded and asked him a question about rock climbing. He should follow up “for sure” but asking her where she has rock-climbed before or what she enjoys doing.
Hinge is just like Tinder, where both the guy and the girl can message each other first. One good way to initiate a conversation with a match is to ask for their opinion on a topic. It could be anything such as:
Which animal makes a better pet: Cats or dogs?
Best hamburger: McDonalds or Burger King?
Better to live a short exciting life or a long boring life?
Better superpower: flying vs invisibilty?
In the above example, the user could reply back with something playful like:
“I think I have a good chance. My mom says I’m the hardest working son/daughter ever.”
The Top Strategies to Attract Potential Hinge Dates
Now that you have a list of the best Hinge openers to use, let’s talk about what you can do beforehand to ensure your profile is in top-notch shape when matches come your way.
It’s always a good idea to optimize your profile for viewers. To ensure that – and a much more positive response from your matches – we’ve rounded up a couple of strategies down below. Use all of these, or pick and choose which ones feel right for you. You don’t want to come off as someone who just copy and pasted their profile from Google. Take our tips and make them personal.
In fact, Hinge itself helps you in the dating process through its innovative ‘Standouts’ feature to help users connect with each other. As dating apps have become more aware of ‘swiping fatigue’ they’ve created features to keep you from scrolling all day long – with no luck.
In order to be featured in Hinge’s Standouts, you’ll want to have a killer profile. This means the algorithm is constantly searching for the best prompt answers, stellar photos, and an eye-catching overall vibe. This is another reason you’ll want to optimize your profile by putting extra thought into it.
Not to mention, your ‘Standouts’ algorithm includes potentially compatible people, so you won’t have to spend as much time and effort looking for a needle in a haystack.
Here are two approaches perfect for improving your Hinge dating strategy:
1. Craft a Killer First Message
As we’ve talked about – first impressions are everything. Not only in real life, but especially in the dating world. With endless options to choose from, what makes you stand out among the rest of his or her matches? You can put yourself at the front of the line with an eye-catching first message.
Some may tell you to avoid the compliment route as a conversation starter. While this is true, it’s only half true.
It’s best to avoid any physical compliments right away. Oftentimes women are flooded with compliments based on their bodies on a daily basis. This can get old, and unoriginal.
If you’re dead set on starting with a compliment, read through her profile first. Compliment her passion for horses or her dedication to teaching children. Not only will this be a refreshing change of pace, but it will also show her you took the time to read up on who she was – rather than just looking at her face.
Create the perfect first message that shows:
You’re interested in learning more about the person you’re texting. This can be done by asking simple questions.
You know how to share engaging information about yourself without sounding boastful
You’re interested in a reply, i.e: prompt a question at the end.
A couple of fantastic examples are if the person in the profile seems to be having a fun night out with their friends you can start by saying, ‘Is that xyz bar? I often go there to grab a drink. What types of drinks do you fancy?’ Or reply to Hinges ‘don’t hate me if I’ questions with a positive twist.
With over 1.2 million users on Hinge, your profile needs to compel a match to stop scrolling and become interested, without even talking to you first.
For starters, select a couple of your favorite pictures. Hinge allows 6, so choose carefully. But remember; you have to choose ones that inspire messages. Make sure you have a balance of individual and group photos. Include 1-2 of your full body show others how you look in real life. Avoid selfies and closeups, these have been shown to prompt the lowest response.
Photos featuring physical activities and sports were excellent prompts. By discussing your favorite team or players, sports fanatics can connect with each other via this app. This increases the chances of finding a match with similar interests.
Pictures of users enjoying a night outperformed comparatively better.
Pro Tip: Avoid photos featuring members of the opposite sex. No matter if they’re your sister or your cousin, this can often come off in a negative way even if it’s completely harmless.
Instead of boasting a picture of the ‘boy’s nights out’ enjoying drinking excessively, post yourself hiking or at an art gallery, ensuring the activity shown is something a potential match would like to be a part of.
Posting a selfie downgrades your chance of a rose or like by 40%. Moreover, those featuring their bathroom in the background reach a staggering 90% downvote.
If you have no other place to take photos, just make sure your bathroom is clean and your toilet is flushed before you go ahead and snap a picture.
Including attractive traits like a stable career, strong family bonds, interesting hobbies, and so on.
Avoid one-word answers to prompts. Nothing says you can’t make conversation like a simple “yes” or “no” to open-ended questions.
Add a small description of who your partner would be like. Crafting positive and engaging content allows viewers to instantly connect with you.
For example: you can answer a Hinge prompt like, ‘my ideal first date would be on the beach watching the picturesque view of the sun setting.’ Or I’m weirdly attracted to, ‘People with androgynous names and curly hair.’ A hyper-specific answer is likely to guide you toward like-minded people while filtering out poor-quality matches.
In-depth research shows that more than 60% of single women scrutinize dating profiles. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to spend some time writing a great bio to make the best first impression.
While it’s perfectly fine to crack jokes to show off your personality, only replying with jokes may show matches you aren’t ready for anything serious.
I’m weirdly attracted to:
Girls who wear the same shirt two days in a row
In-depth research shows that more than 60% of single women scrutinize dating profiles. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to spend some time writing a great bio free to make the best first impression.
The dating world can be a scary place, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find the perfect one for you here. With the help of Hinge and its multiple hundred fantastic one-liners, you can grab your ideal partner’s attention instantly. Ready to meet the partner of your dreams? Check out my dating app profile services and get your hands on a spellbinding bio that’s sure to catch others’ attention!
