This Viral Hinge Prompt “Hack” Actually Isn’t A Good Idea

Sure, dating apps are in their flop era, but singles are still turning to them to try and find their person — or, at the very least, a steady situationship. While a picture is worth a thousand words, the prompts on apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are your chance to show off your personality to potential suitors before they swipe left or right. They’re an integral part of the experience and if you’ve been on the apps for a while, you’ve likely spotted some common themes in prompt responses.

Some people like to brag about their somewhat legal international escapades and others insist they’re looking for someone who “doesn’t take themselves too seriously.” But then there are folks who answer prompts in a way that lacks personality and individuality. In some cases, those responses are downright boring. X user @yourhammergirl seemingly saw a trend of such answers and wanted to see if using banal prompt responses would help them get more matches.

“I WILL get a boyfriend before April ends,” they jokingly wrote in an April 15 post accompanying a screenshot of their Hinge profile. The prompts included: “My controversial opinion is pineapple belongs on pizza,” “I go crazy for Taylor Swift,” and “The way to win me over is send me a picture of your dog.”

While these prompts are totally fine, to use, they don’t help you stand out among the sea of people swiping for love on The Apps™. I mean, if you don’t like pineapple on pizza, that’s fine. Taylor Swift’s fan base isn’t exactly teeny tiny. And who doesn’t like pictures of dogs? People on the apps are looking for the golden retriever energy to their black cat energy, not a literal golden retriever.

Funnily enough, though, the prompt changes seemed to work. Less than 10 hours after changing their profile answers, the user updated their followers, saying, “I’m so extremely blackpilled by this. I changed my profile at 1:30am and I woke up to more likes I’ve ever gotten in my life.” Ouch.

And FWIW, before these edits, their answers weren’t completely unhinged at all. In fact, they were a bit more personal: “my answers were normal (i said i liked raves and chess).” IDK about you, but I’d much rather hear about someone’s favorite underground DJs from Berlin and their opinion on whether Queen’s Gambit was an accurate representation of the thrill of playing chess on a first date than unpacking yet another Swiftie Easter egg — and this is coming for someone who’s seen Miss Swift live three times.

And while @yourhammergirl might’ve gotten more matches from the edits, following in their lead to get more dates probably isn’t a good idea, according to experts. Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, a professor of sexual communication at California State University Fullerton and host of the Luvbites by Dr. Tara podcast, previously told Bustle that being clear and honest in your dating app profiles will lead to more meaningful matches. So don’t take the easy way out.

“Yes, you will get fewer matches — but quality over quantity,” she said. Though @yourhammergirl might have gotten a lot of right swipes, those people wouldn’t have necessarily been compatible matches since they were not given an honest first impression based on the prompts. Dating app prompts are there to show off your humor, your personality, and anything important about you that photos wouldn’t be able to share. Let your freak flag fly in your prompt responses! Share your favorite meme! Be sarcastic and bold!

Similarly, Jennifer Hurvitz, a relationship expert, dating coach, and host of the Doing Relationships Right podcast, previously told Bustle that being truthful is the best way to approach answering the prompts, which can feel obvious but is a good reminder if you feel bogged down by less frequent matches. “Be funny, confident, and honest all at the same time,” she said. “You will avoid hurting feelings if you’re clear about your intentions.”

If @yourhammergirl really wanted someone to accompany them at raves and cutely nerd out about chess with, none of that would come across in answers about pineapple pizza and Taylor Swift. Sorry, but people aren’t really moshing at the Eras Tour and dogs are cute, but what are you going to do with a bunch of photos of strangers’ dogs once they send them to you? Sure, receiving a flood of matches is flattering... but ultimately kind of useless if they aren’t your type.

The takeaway? While some simple dating app prompt responses might, in theory, yield more results, it’s better for you in the long run to take the time and answer them honestly. Think about what you want in a relationship, who you want to attract, and what responses will feel the most authentic to who you are, and let the algorithm do the rest.