Hinge users may have noticed something subtle next to a potential date's profile: a tiny purple heart next to their name.
Hinge's new Signals feature. Credit: Hinge
Your eyes don't deceive you. This is a new feature called Signals, and it's currently in testing, according to a page on Hinge's Help Center. The badge indicates that the user demonstrates thoughtfulness and follow-through.
Users can't buy a Signals badge. It's based on baseline requirements:
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A complete profile (with photos and prompt responses)
The user's profile must be in good standing, meaning they follow Hinge's Community Guidelines
The profile must be over a week old
Completed selfie verification
If any of these aren't checked off, your profile won't have a Signals heart. Additionally, users must exhibit three of five behaviors Hinge calls "Thoughtful Participation," all of which involve actively engaging with other profiles.
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These behaviors include sending comments when Liking, actually sending messages to matches, and confirming a date. Hinge also considers "looking before liking" a thoughtfulness factor: reading prompts, and scrolling past the first photo before sending a Like, suggesting that Hinge can detect all these behaviors. Reviewing one's Likes and matching or skipping (instead of leaving folks in limbo) is another point of thoughtfulness.
Credit: Hinge
Credit: Hinge
"With Signals, we are testing a new feature that would make it easier for your small but meaningful actions to stand out to people viewing your profile," Hinge's chief product and technology officer, Ben Celebicic, said in an emailed statement to Mashable. "It's based on the behaviors daters have told us matter to them, like taking time to notice the small details on a profile or keeping the conversation going."
Signals is dynamic and based on activities over the last 30 days on the app. It refreshes daily, but doesn't reflect real-time activity. The Help Center page states that the heart reflects in-app patterns only; it's not a background check or ID verification (other than requiring selfie verification), and it also doesn't guarantee how someone will act with you.
Recent Hinge features typically nudge users towards better behavior, like Date Ideas for actually figuring out what to do on a first date, and Conversation Starters so singles aren't hit with the dreaded "hey" message.