You finally match with the most drop-dead gorgeous person you’ve ever seen on Hinge.
You quickly skim through their profile, and their personality is just *chef’s kiss*!
The vibes are simply immaculate- nothing but green flags!
Butterflies are fluttering around in your belly and “My Type” by Saint Motel starts playing in your head.
But then it dawns on you.
You have to make the dreaded “M o v e”
Suddenly, the fight-or-flight instinct kicks in and your mind goes blank.
You have no idea which opener to use and the last thing you want to do is fumble.
Don’t worry, we won’t let that happen to you- It’s kind of what we do.
In this complete guide, we’ve made a list of the 30 best hinge openers with proven results that you can use to win that first date and, as Hinge puts it, “delete the app.”
As a bonus, we’ve dropped in some extremely useful dos and don’ts for landing your opening lines- just a little extra treat for you singles.
Let’s dive in!
Best Hinge Openers That Will Get You Dates In 2024
Okay let’s get one thing out of the way before we start: Take all of our advice here with a grain of salt.
Each time you start a conversation with a match on Hinge, it will be a different person with a different personality. What this means is that despite what all the internet love gurus out there will tell you, there is no “perfect” opener.
It all depends on the context, it all depends on the recipient, it all depends on your wit, and it all depends on your execution.
That said, some openers definitely do a better job than others, and in this section, we’re going to share a carefully picked list of those openers sorted by category.
We’re pretty sure we’re not the only ones who think this- Wit is the most attractive quality you can have.
And why wouldn’t it be? Wit is a sign of intelligence, humor, playfulness, liveliness, and quick thinking all at the same time.
So, if you want to land a strong first impression on your hinge match, catch them off-guard with witty openers and win them over. Here are 5 of our favorites:
- “I’m no cashier, but I'm definitely checking you out :)”
Start off strong by being bold, flirty, funny, and intelligently playing on the double meaning of “checking out” with this witty opener.
We’re confident you’ll catch your match completely off-guard with this one. When they’re done laughing at the line, they’ll appreciate your attempt to flatter them.
To increase your chances of getting a response, follow this opener with a question about something mentioned on their profile- this will show them that you’re a master of both worlds; light hearted flirting and genuine interest.
- “I just want to start by saying I respect you, and I won’t send you any unsolicited dick pics. Can’t say the same about duck pics, though. [send a picture of a duck]”
What’s great about this opener is that it starts off as a seemingly thoughtful and respectful assurance.
Your match might even question whether it was necessary to send it in the first place. But just before they can complete that thought, you hit them with the picture of a duck and they realize the setup.
To make the opener even funnier, try finding the funniest picture of a duck you can find- that’ll be the cherry on top.
- “If your pet could talk, what would be their biggest complaint about you?
If your match has uploaded any pictures with their pet on Hinge, opening the conversation with this question can be a really clever way to stand out in their DMs.
While everyone’s busy calling their pet cute, you’d be coming at it from a totally different and unexpected angle and getting them to essentially roast themselves- instantly making the conversation fun, light-hearted, and playful.
As you might have noticed by now, the key to a great witty hinge opener is boldness, uniqueness, and a good sense of humor- master these and you’ll find yourself winning dates left, right, and center!
- “Well, here I am… What are you gonna do with your other two wishes”
Unlike all the other witty openers we’ve shared, you don’t need to put in any extra effort trying to set this one up.
That’s what's so great about it.
Instead of scouring through your match’s profile to find a way to drop a witty opener, you can just dive head-first into the conversation with this one and make your match smile.
Plus, if you’re the kind of person who loves a good flirty banter, this opener can be a great way to start it.
- Pick one: Sell seashells at the seashore, pick a peck of pickled peppers, or punch Donald Trump in the throat?
Again, it’s the play on expectations that makes this opener witty. Your unexpected shift from two choices of tongue-twister scenarios to a completely random option to punch a politician is going to catch your match off guard and set a playful tone for the rest of the conversation.
Dos And Don’ts of Using Witty Hinge Openers
✔️ Set the openers up - When using a witty opener, you don’t want to come across as someone who uses pickup lines unironically- That’s the fastest way you can get your match to get the ick from you. Instead, in a very subtle manner, establish early on in the conversation that you’re being deliberately ironic and playful. You’re likely going to get a much better response from the other side this way.
✔️ Read the room - To pull off a witty opener, you need to be bold. One trade-off of being bold is risking offending people. Most times, It's impossible to know if the person on the other side will take offense to your comment, but you can minimize your chances by carefully and thoroughly going through their profile and identifying which topics might be “off limits” for jokes.
✔️ Be original - Before you send that text, it’s best practice to take a moment to think about whether you could send the same thing to 10 other people as well. Personalized openers come across as thoughtful and show genuine interest. Generic ones simply come across as lazy.
❌ Don’t be offensive - It’s one thing to be bold. And it’s an entirely different thing to be offensive. Know the line between them and educate yourself on social issues to speak responsibly and respectfully.
❌ Don’t keep relying on jokes - One common pitfall when opening with a witty comment is to get stuck in an endless to-and-fro of jokes. Remember that you’ll eventually want to bring it home by having conversations that establish an emotional connection with your match; otherwise, you’ll just be setting yourself up for the friendzone.
Example Of A Successful Witty Hinge Opener
5 Best Flirty Openers That Will Get You Dates On Hinge
If you prefer a more direct approach, try opening with something flirty.
Fair warning, though; flirty pickup lines tend to be superficial, unoriginal, and overused. That’s why we strongly recommend opening with something more personal.
Still, as we said earlier, everyone has their own blend of preferences, and if your match gets a kick out of a good flirty pickup line, you might just win them over with this approach.
Here are some uncommon flirty openers you can use on hinge:
- “Are you today’s date, cause you’re a 10/10”
At first glance, this may seem like one of the common pickup lines we’re all sick of hearing, but you can add a unique twist to it.
For example, instead of waiting for the 10th of October to use this line, you could use this opener on, say, the 7th of May and call them a 7/5.
Your match will appreciate your dedication to using this pickup line despite the date not being in your favor.
- “I’d peel oranges for you”
If this doesn’t win them over, nothing will.
Claiming you’d peel oranges for your match is a clever way to flatter them and reference the popular “Would you peel oranges for me?” Instagram joke.
As a bonus, you’ll come across as cultured and “tuned in.”
- “What’s your Instagram? My parents told me to follow my dreams”
This flirty opener will set you apart from all the “did it hurt when you fell from heaven” messages in your match’s DMs.
It’s funny, and it’ll move things forward by (hopefully) getting you their Instagram username.
While you probably won’t be the first to use this, it’s as uncommon as a flirty opener can be, so cross your fingers and hope for the best.
- “Are you a parking ticket- cause you’ve got fine written all over you”
Okay, we’ll admit this one’s cheesy and likely overused. But it’s still a classic and it’s definitely witty enough to score you some points with your match.
- “Your hand looks heavy- Can I hold it for you?”
The best way to use this opener is by commenting on a picture where you can see your match’s hands. If you open with this without any context, you’ll come off as lazy, unoriginal, and “trying too hard.”
Dos & Don’ts of Using Flirty Hinge Openers.
✔️ Be direct and deliver well - If you decide to go for a flirty opener, make sure you own it- Show confidence, be bold, and be direct; self-doubt can be an instant turn-off.
✔️ Put some thought into it - A good rule of thumb when it comes to sending an effective opener is to ask yourself whether you can copy-paste the same message to 10 other chats. If you can, it’s too generic and you need to customize it for the recipient.
✔️ Know when to quit - Don’t overdo it. If you keep making superficial flirty comments, you’ll end up preventing the conversation from moving to a deeper level.
❌ Don’t cross boundaries - It’s really important to stay respectful while flirting with someone you just met online. Inappropriate comments will do nothing but make you come across as a creep and make the other party uncomfortable.
❌ Don’t be superficial - With online dating, you only get so many chances to show personality and make a good first impression. Don’t waste the opportunity by saying something any average person would have come up with in a minute.
Example Of A Successful Flirty Opener
5 Best Funny Hinge Openers That Will Get You Dates On Hinge
A great sense of humor is always attractive- especially for girls (yes, the rumors really are true).
Here are five things you can say to help your personality shine and get yourself across as someone who’s fun to be around:
- “I’d love to take you out for a movie, but I'm afraid they don’t allow snacks. What should we do instead?”
Make her smile, flatter her, and ask her out all at the same time with this opener. It’s that simple.
What makes this opener better than most funny pickup lines is that it ends with a prompt- making sure your conversation doesn’t end with an uncomfortable “haha” wall.
If you do end up facing a “haha” wall, though. Don’t worry- It’s not over.
You still have one card up your sleeve: our AI powered chat assistant tool. It can take in any response from your match, and give you ideas on how to keep the conversation flowing. We’ll give you a mini-tutorial on this later in the article.
- “If you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple. But if you were a vegetable... I’d visit you in the hospital.”
This is so clever we won’t even bother making a case for using this opener. It’ll sell itself.
- “Knock Knock. Who’s there?...”
Remember how we mentioned that a big problem with Hinge openers is that they’re too generic? Here’s a clever way around it: Start with a knock-knock joke.
But not just any knock knock joke- make it clever and personalized by using their name.
For example, if your match is a Harry or Annie, you could do something like:
“Knock knock”
“Who’s there?”
“Harry” / “Annie”
“Harry / Annie Who?”
“Harry up and ask me out, I've been waiting for you.”
Or
“Annie chance you’re free this Friday at 7pm?”
- “Words can’t describe how pretty/ hot/ handsome you are… But numbers can. 10/10. Wanna get drinks?”
This opener is really effective because it starts by confusing the reader and then immediately gets down to business by complimenting them and asking them out.
That “wanna get drinks” prompt at the end will make sure the conversation keeps flowing.
- “I’d stop eating apples for you and switch to dates instead”
This is the opener you want to use if your match is a doctor. It plays on the popular “doctors hate apples” joke and gets even funnier with its double wordplay on the word “dates.”
Can’t imagine any doctor not appreciating this one.
Dos And Don’ts Of Using Funny Hinge Openers
✔️ Execute well- Execution is everything when it comes to being funny. Spend some time making the joke punchy. Sloppy execution is nothing but a turn-off.
✔️ Stay true to yourself- With funny openers, you project yourself as a humorous person. If you don’t think you can keep this energy up, own up to it like a champ and choose a different approach. There’s nothing more attractive than someone who stays true to themselves.
❌ Don’t be disrespectful- Be careful about what you decide to joke about. If it’s potentially a sensitive topic- it’s best to just stay away from it.
❌ Don’t block the conversation- Whatever joke you decide to open with, make sure it’s not something that will result in a “haha” response that makes it hard for you to carry the conversation.
Example Of A Successful Funny Hinge Opener
Best Question-Based Hinge Openers
If you’re the type of person who wants to establish a deeper emotional connection with your match, using question-based openers will be the perfect approach for you.
Question-based openers will allow you to get personal with your hinge match and connect with them on a human level- something we’re sure not many others would be doing. That’s what’ll make you stand out.
Here are 5 questions you should ask your Hinge match:
- “What’s your idea of an ideal date?”
If you want to connect with your match on a human level and keep the vibe slightly flirty, this should be your go-to question.
It prompts your match to think about their likes and dislikes and express their preferences upfront. As a bonus, they’ll end up handing you a real-life “cheat sheet” for a first date with them.
If you’re smart, you’ll plan your first date with them around their response.
- “What memory would you use to conjure your Patronus?”
Use this one if they have anything on their profile that indicates they’re a Harry Potter fan. With this question, you’ll end up scoring points for acknowledging their interests and making them think about some of their best memories.
- “If the world were ending in 3 days, how would you spend your time?”
This one’s always a great thought-provoking question that leads to an interesting conversation. As a bonus, their response will tell you a lot about their priorities and values.
- “What’s one thing on your bucket list that you need to check off before you die?”
This question will reveal a lot about your match’s priorities and goals in life. If ambition is important to you in a partner, this could act as a good “screening” question as well.
- “What’s a random fact about you that would surprise most people?”
Dos & Don’ts of Using Question-Based Hinge Openers
✔️ Read the room - The thing about question-based openers is… there is a time and place for them. If you just start throwing deep questions at your match without checking if they’re in the mood, you’ll just end up coming across as awkward and intense.
✔️ Respond well - Deciding what to ask is only one part of the job. The other part is to prepare a good response. If you end up giving a lame response to a question you came up with, it’ll seem as though you’re trying too hard to come across as an intellectual.
❌ Don’t get too personal - The fastest way to shoo people away is to make them uncomfortable on the first contact. Remember, if someone’s opened
❌ Don’t get friend-zoned - Connecting with your match on a human level is important. But it shouldn’t be the only card up your sleeve. Add some versatility to your personality and balance these conversations out with something fun and light-hearted. If you don’t, you’re probably going to get friend-zoned.
Best Compliment-Based Hinge Openers That Will Get You Dates On Hinge
The best way to know which openers win dates and which ones don’t is to ask the recipients themselves.
Reddit should be your go-to place for this kind of stuff.
We read through the entire discussion on these two subreddits so you don’t have to:
- r/Tinder “Do Girls Actually Like Pickup Lines?”
- r/Dating “Guys & girls who use hinge, what opening lines get you responses?”
And do you know what’s the one thing everyone almost unanimously agrees on?
It’s that openers should be personalized and creative. Otherwise, they just come off as lazy.
In the words of Reddit user “Babsie99”:
Here are 5 ways to use profile information to complement your Hinge match:
- “That [dish] looks amazing- how about you make that for me on our first date”
If your match has uploaded a picture of a dish they made, pay it a compliment. If you’ve ever cooked something, you know how great it feels to have someone appreciate your work.
For an even stronger effect, instead of calling their dish “amazing,” try to notice something specific about it that they’ve genuinely done a good job with. For example, if you notice they managed to make brownies that look moist and fudgy, point it out and appreciate their talent”
- Your [pet] has the most adorable [specific quality].
People love their pets, and anybody who shows them love automatically wins brownie points.
That's a universal law.
As we’ve mentioned previously, your compliment will be a lot more impactful if you point out something specific instead of going for something generic. I.e., instead of “Your cat is so cute,” say: “Your cat has such interesting markings- it’s like a little work of art”
- “It’s so interesting that you’re into [insert their passion]. What’s the best [thing] you’ve made so far?”
Paying someone a compliment isn’t always about saying something positive about them. Sometimes, taking interest alone is the best form of flattery.
One example of how you can use this on Hinge would be: “It’s so interesting that you paint, which of your paintings are you the proudest of?”
- “Your smile is genuinely so pretty- didn’t know hinge match me up with angels”
There’s no harm in getting a bit flirty with your compliments. If that’s your vibe, this opener will be perfect for you.
- “I love that you’re into [insert their passion], Want to do that on our first date?”
Let’s use the paint enthusiast example again. If your match loves to paint, ask them out on a painting date in a nice park.
See how that goes (also, you’re welcome).
Dos & Don’ts of Complimentary Hinge Openers
✔️ Be specific - People can always tell whether a compliment is sincere. A great way to make your compliment come across as such is to appreciate something specific.
✔️ Articulate yourself well - Step out of the typical pool of adjectives like: “nice, amazing, pretty” and start using words like “captivating, magnetic, radiant, etc.”
❌ Don’t Overdo it - Receiving compliments feels nice, but being love-bombed doesn’t. Leave room for the conversation to flow instead of bombarding your match with compliments left, right, and center.
Best Game-Based Hinge Openers
Being playful with your Hinge match will always pay off. Who doesn't love a good sport?
If you’re a sucker for game-based icebreakers, This is the way to go:
- “Two truths and a lie. I’ll start”
When it comes to online dating games, “Two Truths and a Lie” is a classic. It’s a fun way to break the ice with your match and learn new things about each other.
What’s really great about this opener is that it prompts both sides to reveal the biggest highlights of their lives, which opens up leads for all sorts of interesting conversations- just don’t forget to probe!
- “Let’s do rapid-fire questions. I ask you three, you ask me three.”
Prepare a list of interesting questions to ask before playing this game, and we can guarantee you’ll have some of the most interesting conversations you’ve ever had on Hinge.
- “Let’s play a roasting game. I’ll roast your profile, you roast mine- but we can only use emojis”
This one will be a hit or miss.
We don’t recommend playing this one unless you can come up with really witty ways to (respectfully) roast your match.
If you think you’ll be able to make them laugh though, by all means, go ahead with this.
Roasting games are a really fun way to start light and flirty banter with your match, and you’ll definitely score brownie points if you know your emojis well.
- “Were Ross and Rachel really on a break?”
If there’s any indication your match is into movies and shows, there’s a really good chance they’ve seen “Friends.”
If that’s the case, your match will definitely show enthusiasm about getting the opportunity to state and defend their stance.
As a bonus, you’ll be able to evoke nostalgia in the conversation and come across as cultured.
- “This or That”
“Would you rather” and “This or That” are classics for a reason. Being forced to choose between two equally desirable or undesirable options can really get the mind going, which is why they’re effective ways to start memorable conversations.
To really make the game interesting, ask them “this or that” questions related to their interests. For example, if they’re into music, you could go for something like: “Taylor Swift or Kanye West”
Dos and Don’ts Of Using Game-Based Hinge Openers.
✔️ Plan it out - Before you invite your match to play any of the games we’ve listed above, make sure you think your answers through on your end. This way, you can ensure the game won’t turn into an exchange of dull responses.
❌ Don’t force it - As with deep conversations, there’s a time and place to play games with your match. If the conversation isn’t naturally flowing there, don’t make your match uncomfortable by insisting on playing games with you anyway.
❌ Don’t be generic - Personalize your prompts and responses based on your match’s interests. If they’re not into F1 for example, asking them to choose between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will make them lose interest in the game.
Tips On How To Choose The Best Hinge Opener For Your Match
“Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish, and you’ll feed him for a lifetime”
Well said, Lao Tzu.
So far, we’ve only handed over ready-made openers to you. But that’s not enough.
You need to be able to read the situation and determine which approach might work best for your match.
In this section, we’re going to help you with exactly that. Let’s get going.
- Different Age Groups Prefer Different Openers
In 2015, Hinge conducted a study to test the effectiveness of more than 100 opening lines.
We won’t get into the nitty gritties of the experiment here, but here’s what they found about the preferences of different age groups for different types of opening lines:
As you can see in the image above, younger age groups (18-23) prefer novel openers, people in their late 20s prefer lifestyle-based openers, people in their early 30s prefer personal openers and people older than 35 prefer (surprisingly) pop-culture-based openers.
Based on this study, these are the opener types you should go for depending on your match’s age:
Age Group - Preferred type of openers
18- 23
Funny, Witty, and Game-based openers
24- 28
Question-based and Complementary openers
29- 34
Question-based and Game-based openers (Games help learn more about each other)
35+
Game-based and funny openers that involve pop culture references i.e., Ross vs Rachel.
We do want to say here that you should take these findings with a grain of salt for two reasons:
- This study was conducted all the way back in 2015, and
- The openers that seem to work best for each age group seem questionable i.e., it’s surprising that older age groups would prefer pop culture references.
2. Never Start With “Hey”
If there’s one big no-no opener when it comes to Hinge, it’s starting with something as basic and lazy as “Hey” or “Hi” or “Hello.”
In the 2015 Hinge study we mentioned earlier, “hey” was the least effective opener among all the openers they tested.
Plus, Reddit users of the subreddit r/Dating share the same unanimous verdict.
In the words of Reddit user dentduv:
3. Fix Your Digital Body Language (DBL)
In the 2024 GenZ D.A.T.E report by Hinge Labs, it was found that 77% of daters on Hinge look for DBL cues to assess their match’s intentions.
What are these DBL cues? This snippet from the report sums it up:
4. Respond Fast
In the same 2015 study we mentioned earlier, Hinge found that men and women have different attention spans, which impacts their preferences for timely responses.
Essentially, men have shorter attention spans, and if you don’t respond to them within 6 hours, their likelihood of getting back to you plummets dramatically.
Women are a lot more patient when it comes to being approached.
5. Stay True To Yourself
We can’t emphasize this enough: Always stay true to yourself- there’s nothing more attractive than an unapologetically original personality.
If humor isn’t your strong suit, for example, don’t try to portray yourself as the funny guy or girl.
Remember, you’re going to have conversations with your match beyond the first opener, and your true personality will reveal itself sooner or later.
Still, if you need help keeping your energy up throughout the conversation, our AI-powered Chat Assistant tool can give you a hand
How does it work?
Simple.
Start by entering the message you want to reply to:
Then, pick what sort of response you want to give i.e., flirty, feisty, friendly, etc.,
Now, Click “Get ideas”
And boom- You’ve got yourself three instant response ideas. It’s that easy.
Conclusion
Choosing the perfect Hinge opener can be confusing. But as long as you keep our tips in mind, you should be good to go.
One more time for the people in the back: Stay true to yourself!