Hinge users can send voice messages and add audio notes to profiles

Hinge is the latest dating app that's making a push into audio. Starting today, users can attach voice clips to profiles, in what's said to be a first for a major dating app. You can also send audio notes to your matches.

You can add an audio clip to your profile by going to the Edit Profile section of the settings and selecting Voice Prompt. You can choose a prompt (a question or comment suggested by the app to highlight something about you) and respond with a 30-second recording. “This is just the beginning of a lot of things that we’ll see come out over the next six to 12 months that really help people tell a richer story in their profiles,” Hinge CEO Justin McLeod told CNBC.

Some users might find it easier to get to know matches through voice messages rather than text. Many dating apps have added video and audio features, particularly after the onset of COVID-19 made in-person dating more difficult.

Rival dating app Bumble has allowed would-be lovebirds to send audio messages to each other since April 2020, while Tinder started allowing users to add videos to their profiles this summer. Hinge, however, has had the latter feature since 2017.

Hinge is introducing more features for LGBTQ+ users too. As of Thursday, the app will introduce a non-binary gender category to its algorithm. McLeod noted that although other apps let users identify as non-binary, they typically require those users to say whether they want their profile to be seen by people looking for men or women. Prompts designed for LGBTQ+ users will also be added in November.