How To Change Your Location on Hinge: Everything You Need to Know

If you use Hinge to make new connections, you may want to change your location depending on where you're located. If you recently moved, are traveling, or want to explore connections in another area, changing your Hinge location can connect you with new people.

Below we outline how easy it is to change your location on the app. We also give you tips on adjusting your privacy settings and how to use a VPN to hide your IP address and stay safer in the world of online dating. 

Manually change location on Hinge

Unlike many dating services, the Hinge app doesn't automatically update your location. In fact, you have full control over whether to give Hinge permission to collect data on your current location, putting you in the driver's seat of your online dating experience.

Being able to make unlimited changes to your location can be an advantage when it comes to your dating experience. You change your location as many times as you need and open up matches anywhere on the globe. Are you feeling that British accent, or maybe wanting to explore a different culture in Asia? Have you always wondered what it would be like to date someone in Australia?

Regardless of where you are in the world and your personal preferences, Hinge allows you to connect with people in any culture. We have all the details about how to change your location on the app.

How to change Hinge locations:

1. Log into the app and select your photo icon near the navigation bar.
2. Select preferences.
3. Select My Neighborhood.
4. Click on the compass icon near the bottom right of the map or swipe and zoom to hover over your preferred location.

How to change to a different location on Hinge using your profile settings:

iOS devices (iPhone and iPad)

1. Click the Pencil icon.
2. Select the square near “Visible on profile” to show your criteria.
3. Scroll down and click on the Vitals section.
4. Tap on toggle near “Location” and enter your desired location.
5. Click on the toggle selection to either hide or make your location visible.
6. Click on the "less than" symbol (<).
7. Select “Done” to save the change.

Android devices

1. Click the Pencil icon.
2. Select the square near “Visible on profile” to show your criteria.
3. Scroll down and click on the Vitals section.
4. Enter your new location in the “Location” area.
5. Select the circle near “Visible on profile” if you want to make your location visible.
6. Click on the "less than" symbol (<) to save your changes.

Does Hinge need my location?

Unlike location-based dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, Hinge does not require your location when using its dating service. However, the company can track your location through your geolocation and IP address. The geolocation data collection occurs in the background, meaning that the app collects your location information whether or not you are actively using it.

But don’t despair — we’ve outlined how you can modify your interactions with Hinge’s data collection policies.

What basic data does Hinge collect?

On a basic level, Hinge collects any information you share with it, such as your phone number, email address, photos, videos, and messages with other users of the platform. If you log in through a social media platform like Facebook, the service will also collect your social media information. Sharing essential information with Hinge makes it possible for you to use its dating services.

What other data does Hinge collect?

The company may collect other data from you, including your IP address, device IDs, browser types, your operating system, your network provider, and advertising IDs.

It also gathers device ID mechanisms from cookies. In its cookie policy, Hinge states that it uses cookies to better remember your personal preferences, among other advertising reasons.

Is my data shared with third parties?

Hinge is a subsidiary of Match Group, and it does share your information with its multiple affiliate businesses and also with third-party partners who publish Hinge’s ads on different websites.

The privacy policy claims that mutual information sharing across platforms enables Match Group to make its service safer by banning any potential bad actors across the company’s websites. Moreover, it states that your shared information allows the business to run efficiently with data hosting and maintenance, customer care services, and targeted marketing functions.

Do I have any choice about data sharing?

The great news is that you do have choices on how to use Hinge while best protecting your privacy. You can explore its help center for a full list of privacy options or detailed questions, but we have included a few important pieces of information below for you.

Please note that altering your data-sharing options can modify your overall experience within the application.

Device permissions

You can modify your mobile device settings directly to allow or deny the collection of your data by any particular app, including push notifications, phone contacts, pictures, and more.

You should have a privacy or security section within your phone’s settings that allows you to access the Hinge app directly, tap on it, and modify what personal information is available to the application.

Tools, account settings, and cookies

Hinge advises within its cookie policy that you are able to adjust your cookie preferences within the app by going to your account settings menu.

The tools and account settings menu lets you access and modify multiple data permissions that are directly linked to your account.

Geolocation settings

You can consent to have your geolocation data—your latitude and longitude coordinates—tracked. In the Hinge app, select settings > privacy > toggle off geolocation.

Do I need a VPN for Hinge?

You may be asking yourself: How does Hinge work, and will a VPN hide my location? Because you are able to change your Hinge location settings yourself, you don’t actually need to use a VPN to spoof your location.

Using a VPN each time you connect to the internet is a good choice. A VPN will encrypt your internet traffic, giving you privacy while browsing your potential matches. Because your activity is routed through a random server in a location of your choosing, it makes it more difficult for your information to be intercepted by hackers who want to target your data privacy.

We've researched the best mobile VPN options for the Hinge app. These VPNs come with standard AES-256 encryption for your protection. 

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Hinge FAQ

Bottom line

Hinge’s dating app allows you to explore potential matches anywhere in the world. This unique feature, compared to other location-based services, enriches your overall dating experience. By learning how to use Hinge’s location options and privacy adjustments, along with using a VPN, you will keep your security a top priority while searching for compatible dates online.

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Author Details

Robin Moore

About the Author

Robin Moore is a freelance writer and editor specializing in blockchain technology, including wallet security and data privacy. She is the current Managing Editor for Watcher.Guru, a startup blockchain and finance news publication with 1.7 million followers on Twitter. Robin has also been the lead content editor with Genfinity.IO, another startup blockchain research publication. Before entering the Web3 space, she was a business analyst within the oil and gas industry. When she is not offering advice on the best ways to protect data privacy, she is hiking, doing yoga, or networking with her Web3 family on crypto-Twitter.

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