Just four easy steps using the Hinge dating app
Today, you’re in Los Angeles, but tomorrow you’re vacationing in New York City. You’re single, online dating, and still want to keep up the swiping momentum on Hinge, but you’re afraid you may not have access when you’re so far from home.
Fortunately, Hinge members don’t need to worry about that. Unlike other dating apps including Tinder and Bumble which automatically track daters through GPS, Hinge users can change their location with just a few taps on their phone.
However, the app does not automatically switch you over to a new location. Once you’ve figured out you’ll be staying in New York, you will have to manually change your settings to begin your new flirtatious chats.
Read on to learn how to set your desired location, whether you need a VPN to do it to change your Hinge location and how Hinge plans to protect all the vital personal details Hinge users give them.
You will also find out how to change your country’s location on both Android and IOS.
How do I set my location?
The hinge was initially ‘designed to be deleted,’ meaning it focuses on creating long-term online dating relationships and not ‘quickies.’
So, to maintain balance and continuity of relationships on the dating app, Hinge won’t change location data for you automatically.
Now, it’s up to you. And considering that more than 99% of Hinge users have a college education, you’re not likely to find the instructions too difficult.
There are four simple steps to setting or changing your current geographic location using the Hinge app.
1. Open Hinge. Once inside the Hinge app, tap your photo icon on the far right of the navigation bar.
2. Tap Preferences.
3. Tap My Neighborhood.
4. Tap the compass icon at the bottom right of the map, or pinch and zoom to hover over your desired location.
Once you manually change location on Hinge, it will show that as your new location for dating until you choose to alter it again.
You May Get Lost in Neighborhoods
Some Reddit users have noted that the Hinge app uses neighborhoods instead of cities to show someone’s precise location.
Doesn’t seem like a problem, until you consider how many neighborhoods in your area may be unfamiliar to you.
Someone could be just 20 minutes from your desired location, but it won’t be obvious because of strange or overly specific suburb names.
Some say they needed to google the name of the area to find out exactly in which city their prospective match was located.
This can be a pain if you’re not into researching every time you have a potential love interest.
Do I Need a VPN To Change Location on Hinge?
Hinge, one of the most popular dating apps, doesn’t use the GPS or IP address from your device like other dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, so it’s not necessary to use a VPN or Virtual Private Network.
But, if you want to be more discreet and safeguard your personal information from potential hackers, you may want to use a VPN.
Remember, Hinge, along with other dating apps, will ask you to provide an abundance of private information that you may not want the general public to know.
That may be your home phone number, sexual orientation, or location data. It also includes photos and even videos that may reveal personal aspects of your life or family.
The best VPNs will likely banish any security concerns.
Catherine Hiley of Cybernews writes that a VPN allows you to connect to a server, say, New York, which then issues a new IP address from that precise location.
She says that the process prevents your true location from being detected. Your real IP address is hidden and the VPN encrypts your data, which means your profile details will stay out of a hacker’s screenshot.
Some of the top VPN providers like NordVPN, Surfshark, and PrivateVPN allow you to keep searching for ‘the one while traveling through countries where Hinge may be blocked.
For whatever reason, various governments block access to dating sites and even make it illegal to peruse any dating apps or services while in that particular country.
This is where VPNs also come in handy since they protect you from being identified. They can maneuver around blocks or can even make it appear as if you were in a different location.
However, a VPN has its drawbacks. It is a common complaint among users of VPNs that their connection slows to a crawl. This becomes tedious if you’re expecting a prompt answer to your request for a second date.
Free VPNs, especially, tend to have a smaller server framework, which can end up in congested servers. That leads to slower speeds and frustration for many.
They can also have more security holes and weak encryption, which means they aren’t going to be the safety net you were counting on.
Hinge Privacy Policy
Hinge is a free dating app that is gaining popularity among young people looking for romantic relationships. Like other popular dating apps, Hinge needs some basic background information before you can start conversations.
There can be concerns over the safety of exposing your personal information to the public. Something you would never have had to worry about just a few years ago with traditional dating. And even more so, is your potential date going to use your information improperly or maliciously?
You can sign up and make a profile with just a verified phone number. There was a time Hinge required its members to also be a member of Facebook, but they dropped that requirement several years ago.
According to Hinge’s privacy policy, taken directly from their website, the dating app requires basic profile details along with asking you random questions surrounding your dating preferences.
They say they also collect info on the use of their services including access logs, as well as details from third parties. That means they are using some of the details from your social media accounts.
Usage Information simply means what you’re tapping or choosing to look at, on the dating app. So, for example, the times you’re logging in, the features you tend to use, as well as information that is shown to you.
The app also takes into account the interactions you have with other app users, like the particular members you’re connecting with, when you interact with them and the number of messages you send and receive.
Hinge says the main reason the service collects this information is to “deliver and improve” its services.
They say the information helps to keep users safe, but that it also helps them expose you to adapted advertising – the brands and products that you will find most appealing.
How Hinge Shares your Information
With other Hinge members – your profile is public, so anything you post on the app is open to the scrutiny of other users. You can choose to limit the audience for all or part of your profile or certain content or private information by changing your settings.
With Hinge service providers and partners – Third parties that support the operation of the dating app include companies that provide data hosting and maintenance, analytics, customer care, marketing,
advertising, payment processing, and security operations. Hinge says it has a strict vetting process when dealing with these parties.
With Hinge affiliates – Hinge is part of the Match Group family of businesses, including OkCupid, another well-known online dating service. The company does make it clear they may use member profiles across several of their other dating platforms to increase your chances of finding love.
You will likely be notified if this is going to happen and Hinge says you can approve or refuse this ‘cross-platform’ sharing of your profile.
For Hinge corporate dealings – your data may be transferred if the company is involved in business transactions including mergers, sales, acquisitions, restructuring, or bankruptcy.
For legal purposes – your details may be given over when Hinge is asked to comply with a legal process, such as a court order, subpoena, or search warrant, as well as government or law enforcement investigations.
Know your rights
There is a clear reminder under the company’s privacy policy that users are welcome to filter and control the information given to them through several options.
You’re able to utilize its tools and account settings within the app to change or remove any sensitive details you prefer not to disclose.
You can also use your phone’s permissions and settings to further filter out unwanted notifications. In addition, Hinge says you can just uninstall your app.
But, it warns that doing so won’t close your account – that has to be done from within your Hinge app account.
As well, you have the right to review the information Hinge has collected from you.
Considering all of this, it just makes sense to read the company’s privacy policy fully before even signing up for matches.
Consider any requests for your personal data thoughtfully and remember that private images and conversations always have the potential to be compromised.
Some tips you want to keep in mind when you create your profile and begin chatting on Hinge:
- Don’t use your full name or address. There are ways to get around using your real phone number on Hinge, but they usually require the use of a ‘burner number’ or temporary phone number.
- Avoid an onslaught of scams and annoying adverts by refusing to provide any kind of payment information over the app.
- Don’t choose photos that you wouldn’t show to a close friend.
Tip: If you want to disconnect your Facebook account from your Hinge account, go to the “settings” screen by hitting the person icon in the lower right corner.
Then tap “Account” where you will scroll down to “Connected Accounts.” From there, just switch the button to turn off Facebook.
Change Location Country for Hinge on Android users
You can change the location for the country setting on your Hinge app in just a few minutes.
The process is only slightly different depending on whether you are using the app on an android device as opposed to Apple or IOS. First, you will need to download the Hinge app from the Google play store.
7 steps to changing your country location on an Android:
1. Open Hinge, then hit the Settings icon.
2. Click on the pencil icon.
3. Scroll to “Edit.”
4. Click “Vitals.”
5. Under “Location,” enter your location.
6. Tap the circle next to “Visible on Profile” if you want people to see your new location.
7. Click the less-than icon (<) to save.
Change Location Country for Hinge on iOS device
8 steps to changing your country location on Apple or IOS:
First, you’ll need to download the Hinge app from the Apple store.
1. Open Hinge. Then go to Settings.
2. Click the pencil symbol next to your name.
3. Scroll down to where it says “Edit.”
4. Tap on “Vitals.”
5. Tap on the toggle next to “Location.”
6. Enter the location of your choice.
7. Click the less-than icon (<) at the bottom.
8. Click “Done.”
Change Hinge location without a VPN
As we’ve discussed, it’s not necessary to have a VPN to change your location on Hinge. If you find yourself traveling, but still want to interact with potential matches, the app is designed to make that easy for you.
Here’s the rundown:
- Start by opening the Hinge app and logging into your account.
- Now look for the settings icon.
- Select ‘preferences.’
- Then hit the ‘My Neighbourhood’ option and tap on the compass icon. It may be easier for you to pinch and zoom on the map to select your location.
- Once that’s completed, save the changes, and your choice of locations will be updated.
In a nutshell
If you need to change location on Hinge’s unique dating app, it’s not hard to do. And you don’t need a VPN either.
However, a strong VPN is a protective safeguard if you want to make sure your personal details are secure among a sea of hackers and pseudo-private keyboard investigators.
Keep on top of what happens with your private and personal details by reading through Hinge’s privacy policy.
This way you have the strength of knowing how your information is being used and how to control what goes out on the Web as well as what comes in.
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