Chats that remain inactive for 14 days get collapsed down into a Hidden Chats section, allowing you to focus on chats you’re invested in.
If you don’t receive a reply within three days, then it’s probably safe to assume your match is either inactive or uninterested. Once you send your message, your match will be prompted to read and respond - unless they aren’t actually active, that is. In an effort to reduce ghosting, Hinge created the Your Turn notification, which provides a reminder to let you know you have a pending message you haven’t replied to yet. You should note, however, that even though you’ll receive a notification saying your message was sent, it doesn’t mean your match actually saw it. That’s why the best way to figure out if a match is active (whether you just matched with them or matched with them months ago) is to shoot them a message. And since Hinge matches never expire, it’s possible that some of the people with whom you’ve already matched have since gone off and started dating someone else. However, if you’re someone who checks the app often, then chances are you’re going to come across an inactive profile at some point. Hinge also has a feature that notes "just joined" on users’ profiles to indicate if someone is new (and therefore likely active) on Hinge. According to Jean-Marie McGrath, Director of Communications at Hinge, "75% of the people you see on Hinge were active in the last three days," which means that three out of four of the possible matches you’re given belong to people who actively use the app. Hinge may not have read receipts, but the app does have other ways of helping you find active matches. And if you’re wondering whether Hinge has read receipts, the answer is sadly no, so knowing whether people are active on the app can be a challenge. While everyone has to do what’s right for them, it’s sort of crappy if you match with them, feel fireworks, and never hear from them again.
(The "dating app designed to be deleted," the app says.) But sometimes, people forget about the “delete” part after finding someone special, or they don’t let matches know before they decide to take a break from online dating. If you're using Hinge, it's probably because you're attracted to the concept of an app designed to help people find relationships.