How To Hide Unwanted Messages On Hinge [Hidden Words Explained]
Hinge’s "Hidden Words" feature essentially acts as a mute filter for unwanted comments or phrases you’d rather not see pop up in your likes feed.
Our team of dating experts at VIDA Select is here to give you the full scoop on how this feature works, how to access it, and how to make the most of Hidden Words.
Table of Contents
We’ve spent thousands of hours swiping, messaging, and setting up dates for our clients on Hinge, so we know this popular app inside and out.
Let’s dive in!
What Is Hinge’s Hidden Words Feature?
Think of it as a personal "mute" button, just like the ones you find on other social media platforms. Whenever someone sends a Like with Comment containing one of your listed words or emoji, they’ll be automatically redirected to a separate inbox.
According to Hinge Trust & Safety VP Jeff Dunn, the app wanted to promote an environment where everyone can feel safe and respected.
“This feature is about giving daters the ability to define their boundaries, enhancing their confidence in the process. Our hope is that with Hidden Words, users will feel reassured they can explore potential connections in a way that’s most comfortable to them, leading to safer and more satisfying dating experiences."
How Hinge Hidden Words Works
Hidden Words helps detour any potential negative interactions before they even start, allowing you to curate a better overall vibe based on your preferences. And the good news, it’s totally free. You don’t need a Hinge+ or HingeX subscription to access it.
You get to create your own personalized list of words, phrases, or emoji that you just don't want to see popping up in comments or DMs.
Anytime someone uses one in a message to you, they won’t show up in your regular feeds. Instead, they’ll be automatically moved to the “Hidden Likes” category.
The user who sent you the comment is not notified that they were blocked by the feature, and you won’t be notified that you received a comment from them. Whenever you choose to, you can review the profiles in this feed individually or simply delete them all in bulk.
If you choose to view their profile and see their comment, you’ll then have the option to match, skip, or report them.
Whenever you report a message as inappropriate from any feed, you'll have the option to add that specific wording to your "Hidden Words" list on the spot. You can add up to 1,000 words, phrases, or emoji to your list, which can be edited at any time.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Dunn mentioned that they are testing a bunch of new features for its safety toolkit and “Hidden Words proved to be the first choice for public release.”
He also shared that this new feature would be expanded on in the future.
“We have a roadmap for Hidden Words that involves expanding its abilities, flexibility and coverage. We are currently researching how we can improve the feature while also understanding what people want out of it with the first release.”
How To Set Up Hidden Words
#1: To set up your own list of hidden words, simply navigate to the Settings tab on the Hinge app.
#2: Under 'Safety', select 'Hidden Words'. You’ll be taken to a different screen where you can type out the words, phrases, or emoji.
#3: Tap done, and now any profiles containing these will be routed automatically to the Hidden Likes section.
Modern dating is exhausting for a lot of different reasons, and Hidden Words aims to combat the annoyance of receiving messages that aren’t what you want to read.
Unfortunately, various forms of online harassment are on the upswing. This added layer of curation will help you screen for compatibility issues and instantly weed out the red flags.
If you find dating apps like Hinge to be an exercise in frustration, VIDA Select’s team of experts can help. In fact, our seasoned pros will manage every aspect of modern dating for you.
From profile creation to swiping and messaging, it’s all handled. All you have to do is approve your matches and show up for the dates!
