Recent trends in the dating industry have shown that many users find themselves stuck in a cycle of slow responses, unanswered messages, and potential matches that don’t go anywhere. Hinge, the “dating app designed to be deleted”, has made an effort to avoid this problem with its new Your Turn Limits feature that forces users to decide on either engaging or breaking off matches instead of letting them sit unread.
Instead of allowing users to accumulate endless conversations with little follow-through, Your Turn Limits prompts users to either reply to or end conversations before they can move on to new matches or receive additional likes. According to Hinge founder and current CEO Justin McLeod, the point is that “your next relationship could be just a message away”, and that the new feature forces users to gain momentum by committing to a decision.
Evidence supports this approach, with Hinge reporting that conversations where both parties respond within 24 hours are 72% more likely to result in a date. Additionally, 76% of users believe message consistency indicates genuine interest. Early tests of Your Turn Limits reportedly increased user responsiveness by 20%, with many saying it helped them focus on quality matches and make more thoughtful connections.
While no feature can entirely eliminate the frustrations of online dating, tools like Turn Your Limits may see increasing popularity as more and more users struggle with dating site burnout.
