How to reply to a Hinge prompt (with examples)
What to write in the comment box when you like a prompt, examples for the prompts you'll see most, and what to do when she comments on yours.
Free download · iOS 17 or laterOn Hinge, your first message usually isn't a message at all. It's the comment you add when you like one of her prompts. She sees it next to your profile while she decides whether to match, so it does two jobs at once: it's your opener and your first impression.
Most comments fail the same way. They react to the fact that she answered ("haha love this") instead of to what she actually said. This guide gives you a simple formula, examples for the kinds of prompts you'll see most, and the mistakes that make a comment easy to skip.
How liking and commenting works on Hinge
A quick refresher, from Hinge's own help center:
- You like one thing, not the whole profile. Tap the heart on any of her photos or prompts. You can add a comment to that like.
- Comments help. Hinge says adding a comment to your like makes it more likely to get a response.
- She decides from her likes. Your like and comment show up for her with your profile. If she likes you back, you match and can start chatting.
- Profiles show three written prompts. Some also have a Voice Prompt or Video Prompt (up to 30 seconds), a Prompt Poll with three answers to choose from, or a prompt paired with a photo.
So the comment is short, it's attached to one specific thing, and it's competing with every plain like she gets. Hinge has also found that people get bored by one-word openers: in a 2022 survey, half of Hinge daters said they feel bored when they receive one. That's why "hey" on its own rarely works.
The formula: her detail, your take, an easy hook
Most comments that get answered have three parts, and they fit in a sentence or two.
- Her detail. One specific thing from her answer: a word, a claim, a place, an oddly exact number. It proves you read it, and it's the part a copy-pasted line can't fake.
- Your take. A guess about her, a mild disagreement, a small confession of your own, or a playful leap. This is where your personality goes, and it's the part most people skip.
- An easy hook. Something she can answer in one line. A question works. So does a claim that begs to be corrected.
Compare that with "Sounds like a great Sunday!" It's friendly, but there's nothing to answer except "thanks".
Try it on your next reply
Free to download for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later). AI replies need Wingman Pro; the price and any trial are shown in the app before you buy.
Replies by type of prompt
Prompts fall into a few families. Each one gives you something different to work with.
Funny prompts
Prompts like "Dating me is like" or "I'm weirdly attracted to". She's made a joke, so play along. Don't turn it into a job interview, and don't explain why it's funny.
Accepts the deal and asks about the funny part.
Plays along with the joke and gives her a choice.
Avoid: "Haha so what do you do for work?" It kills the joke and starts an interview.
Opinion prompts
Prompts like "Unpopular opinion" or "My most controversial opinion is". She's inviting an argument, so pick a side. Agreeing politely is the weakest answer.
Picks a side and adds a twist she can react to.
A playful disagreement is easy to reply to.
Avoid: "Bold take 😅". It takes no side and leaves her nothing to say.
Two truths and a lie
This prompt is a game. Play it: make a guess and give a reason. That's the whole comment.
A confident guess with a reason. She has to answer to tell you if you're right.
The reasoning is the funny part.
Avoid: "Is it the first one?" with nothing else. Guess with a reason.
Everyday prompts
Prompts like "Typical Sunday", "My simple pleasures" or "I go crazy for". These are full of small details, so pick the most specific one and ask about it.
Jokes about one detail, then asks about another.
A specific question with a light tease.
Avoid: "Same!" You can share the interest, but add something.
Sincere prompts
Prompts like "The key to my heart is", "I want someone who" or "Green flags I look for". She's being honest, so answer sincerely. A joke can fit, but keep it warm, and don't turn it into a sales pitch about yourself.
A small confession that matches her green flag, with a question.
Takes her answer seriously and asks for more.
Avoid: "I'm like that!" or a list of your own qualities. It reads as an audition.
Date-idea prompts
Prompts like "Together, we could" or "First round is on me if". She's already pointed toward a date, so it's fine to be a little more direct.
Plays the game and moves toward a plan.
Easy for her to answer and keeps the game going.
Prompt polls
A Prompt Poll gives you three answers to choose from. Pick one and say why. The reason is what turns a tap into a conversation.
Picks an option and jokes about it.
Picks one and asks hers.
Voice and video prompts
Comment on something you could only know from hearing or watching it: her laugh, the background, an accent, an impression. It shows you actually played it.
Specific to the recording.
A light observation about something in the video.
When the prompts give you nothing
Some profiles have short or generic prompts. Then like a photo and comment on something specific in it: a place, an activity, a pet, something in the background. Keep it about the moment in the photo, not her looks.
A specific detail you can connect over.
Easy to answer, and people like talking about their dogs.
The examples are there to show the pattern. Change the details to match her profile, because her details are what make the comment work.
When she comments on your prompt first
If she liked one of your prompts and left a comment, that's the topic. Answer what she said before you change the subject, and give her something back to keep it going.
If she only liked your prompt with no comment, start with something about her profile, using the same formula as above. Don't open with "thanks for the like".
What not to send
- A plain "hey". It gives her no reason to pick you over the other likes.
- Compliments on the answer. "Love this" and "so true" have no reply except "thanks".
- Repeating the prompt back. "Your typical Sunday sounds fun" says nothing new.
- Comments about her body. On a photo or a prompt, it's the fastest way to be skipped, and it isn't what Hinge's comments are for.
- A paragraph. A long comment to someone you haven't talked to yet reads as too much. One or two sentences.
- The same line on every profile. A pickup line that could go to anyone looks like it did. Her details are the point.
From a good comment to a first date
A good opener only matters if it leads somewhere. After a few good back-and-forths, don't let it drag on for weeks. Tie the plan to something from the chat, so it feels natural rather than random.
Turns the prompt topic into a plan.
A callback that becomes an invite.
If the chat goes quiet after matching, see what to text after being left on read. If her replies turn short, see how to text a dry texter.
Where Wingman helps, and where it doesn't
Wingman is an AI keyboard for iPhone and iPad, so it's in Hinge the same way it's in iMessage or Instagram: switch to it with the 🌐 globe key while you're writing.
Where it helps
- It works from her profile. Take a screenshot of the prompt (and the photo, if it matters), switch to Wingman, tap AI and attach up to 5 screenshots. Wingman doesn't read your screen or your chats; it only works with the screenshots you attach or the text you paste.
- Pick the kind of comment. Choose the Opener reply type for a first comment, or Comeback when she's teased you. Then pick a tone: Funny for a joke prompt, Charming or Serious for a sincere one. Tap Analyze and Wingman suggests three options. Tap Regenerate for three more.
- It can write in her language. If her prompt is in Spanish or German, type or paste her answer into Wingman's box and the replies come back in that language. With screenshots alone, Wingman uses your phone's language.
- You stay in control. Tap a suggestion to copy it, paste it, edit it so it sounds like you, and send it yourself. Wingman never sends anything for you.
Where it doesn't
- It can't promise a match. It suggests what to say. Whether she likes you back depends on a lot more than one comment.
- Your details still matter most. Wingman doesn't know you, and it doesn't remember past chats. Swap in your own real details, like the trail you've actually hiked or the show you'd actually recommend.
- Read before you send. Suggestions can occasionally miss the tone of a profile. You're responsible for what you send, and Hinge's own rules apply.
- AI replies need Wingman Pro. Wingman is free to download and the keyboard is free to use in any app you type in. AI replies are part of Wingman Pro: $6.99 a week or $39.99 a year in the US, renewing automatically until you cancel. New subscribers can start with a free trial; the price and any trial are shown in the app before you buy. A fair-use limit of 200 requests per device per day applies. See the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
- iPhone and iPad only. No Android or web version.
Questions, answered
What should I comment on a Hinge prompt?
React to what she actually wrote. Pick one specific detail, add your own take (a guess, a light tease or a small confession), and end with something she can answer in one line. A comment on the content of her answer works better than a compliment on the answer itself.
Should you comment when you like someone on Hinge?
Usually, yes. Hinge says adding a comment to your like makes it more likely to get a response. A specific comment also tells her exactly what caught your eye, which gives her an easy first reply.
Is it better to like a photo or a prompt on Hinge?
A prompt usually gives you more to work with, because it's her own words. Like a photo when it shows something specific you can comment on, such as a place, an activity or a pet. Either way, add a comment.
How long should a Hinge comment be?
One or two sentences. Long enough to show you read her profile and to include a hook, short enough that it doesn't feel like a lot of effort aimed at someone you haven't talked to yet.
What's a good first message on Hinge after you match?
If she commented on your profile, answer her comment first. If you sent the comment, pick up the thread from it, or ask about another detail on her profile. Skip "hey" and "thanks for the like".
How do you reply when someone comments on your Hinge prompt?
Answer what she said, add a bit of play or a detail of your own, and hand a question back. Her comment is the topic. Ignoring it to send your own opener feels scripted.
Is there an app that writes Hinge openers?
Wingman is an AI keyboard for iPhone and iPad that suggests replies in any app you type in, including Hinge. Screenshot her profile, attach it, pick the Opener reply type and a tone, tap Analyze, and choose one of three suggestions. You edit it and send it yourself. AI replies need Wingman Pro.
Related
References
- Hinge Help Center, "Likes": https://help.hinge.co/hc/en-us/articles/36311632894995-Likes
- Hinge Help Center, "How Do I Match with Someone and Start Chatting?": https://help.hinge.co/hc/en-us/articles/360011090134-How-Do-I-Match-with-Someone-and-Start-Chatting
- Hinge Help Center, "How do I edit my Prompts?": https://help.hinge.co/hc/en-us/articles/36311352171539-How-do-I-edit-my-Prompts
- Hinge newsroom, "Hinge Launches Video Prompts and Prompt Polls" (September 20, 2022): https://hinge.co/newsroom/video-prompts-prompt-polls
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