Has anyone else experienced racial bias on dating apps, particularly Hinge?
I’ve primarily used Hinge because several of my friends have had success there. However, I noticed I was getting very few likes or matches despite considering myself attractive and having a solid profile.
A friend mentioned a social media post suggesting that Black women change their race on Hinge to see if it affects their experience. I tried changing mine from African American to non-Black, and almost immediately noticed a different pool of men more professionals and generally men I was more interested in. I changed it back to African American, and the difference was noticeable.
I even switched profiles with a non-Black friend. She was getting tons of likes while I received very few, and she commented that the men appearing on my profile seemed noticeably different from what she was seeing.
I eventually tried Bumble with essentially the same profile, and the difference was pretty shocking: 50+ likes and 4 matches in less than 24 hours.
I know dating apps vary, and I’m not expecting to be everyone’s type, but the difference has made me wonder how much racial bias plays into what Black women are shown and how often our profiles are shown.
Has anyone else experienced something similar, particularly on Hinge? I’d love to hear your experiences or advice.