Small talk is a thing of the past with the rise of voice messages on Hinge
Typed messages of “hello” and “how are you?” are old news. Original parody songs, fake scenarios, and introductions with bizarre background sounds are on the rise.
These are all examples of new ways users are sending voice memos to their Hinge matches.
According to exclusive data shared with the Daily Dot by Hinge’s research team, there was a 34% increase in voice notes sent on the app between 2022 and 2023.
A voice message can take many forms ranging from inventive to outrageous. TikTok user @music.by.sabrina showcased her creativity by crafting an original song with her match’s name to an instrumental track of “Redbone” by Childish Gambino.
TikTok user @deliciousdate centers much of her content around sharing the atypical and playful audios she sends her Hinge matches. Explosions, FBI break-ins, and alien abductions set the stage for creator Caitlyn’s audio introductions. Most of her videos have garnered over 2 million views.
Caitlyn said she decided to join the trend of posting voice messages to matches after seeing it floating around on TikTok.
“Hey Olivia, tonight I’ll actually be working at the zoo,” Caitlyn responded to a match named Owen amid animal noises. “I just got promoted to the chimpanzee section.”
@deliciousdate Replying to @claire i made it to dubai guys dw ???????? #hingevoicememo #hingeprompt #hingeresponses #hinge ♬ original sound - cait
“When you text someone new, it’s usually just a ‘hey’ or ‘how are you?” Caitlyn told the Daily Dot in an email. “I wanted to stand out and be different, since I really believe the dating scene has become so over-saturated. In the few positive encounters that I have had, sending voice memos immediately gets you over the small talk hump and can get you to where you wanna go quicker.”
Though happy with TikTokers’ joyful responses to her unorthodox introductions, Caitlyn said most of her matches have responded dryly or not at all.
Still, she sees voice memos as a successful way to weed out matches.
According to Logan Ury, director of relationship science at Hinge, a recent Hinge study showed that 75% of users expressed that gauging chemistry is a problem in modern dating.
On the other hand, 65% of Hinge users think hearing a person’s voice helps to determine interest in that person.
“Hearing someone’s voice connects us in ways that seeing a photo or reading a text can’t,” Ury said in an email correspondence with the Daily Dot. “So it’s not surprising that 52% of Hinge users say they can learn more about a potential match through a voice message. It gives you a chance to check in with yourself early on about what the other person makes you feel, whether that’s chemistry, confusion, or ‘the ick.’”
“The ick” commonly refers to a detail about a person that turns you off.
According to Hinge, the average voice memo sent on the app in 2023 was 30.6 seconds. Voice memos sent in conversations with matches were 48% more likely to lead to a date, and Hinge users with voice prompts included in profiles were 66% more likely to go on a date.
Ury advises users to be silly, playful, and conversational when creating voice prompts and memos.
“Record when you’re at your best,” she said. “People can hear that smile in your voice. Pump yourself up before recording by listening to your favorite music or doing a few jumping jacks.”
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