What to Say to a Match on Hinge: 40 Openers That Aren't 'Hey'

What to say to a match on Hinge: pick one specific thing from her profile, a prompt answer or a photo, and react to it in a line or two, ideally ending with a question she can answer easily. That beats "hey" because it proves you read her profile and gives her something to say back. You don't need a perfect line, just a specific one. Below are 40 openers grouped by what you're responding to, then follow-ups, how to suggest a date, and what to do when she doesn't answer.

On Hinge, your opener is usually the comment on your like

When you like someone's photo or prompt, you can attach a comment. She sees it with your like before you've matched, and if she likes you back, that comment becomes the first line of the chat. So for most guys the "opener" is really the comment, and it's part of how she decides whether to match at all. Keep it short and warm, and don't ask anything that takes a paragraph to answer.

If she liked you first, she'll show up in your Likes You list, often with a comment of her own. Reply to that. And sometimes you match and neither of you said anything, in which case somebody has to go first, and it might as well be you.

Bare likes are allowed. They just give her less to go on. If your likes aren't turning into matches in the first place, why you're not getting matches on Hinge covers the profile side.

Openers for her prompt answers

Prompts are the easy target, because she already told you what she wants to talk about. Swap the bracketed parts for whatever she actually wrote.

(On "Two truths and a lie") "I'm going with the [skydiving one] as the lie. Nobody who's been skydiving mentions it that casually."
(On "My most controversial opinion is") "Okay, I agree with you on [opinion], but I need to know where you stand on ranch on pizza before this goes any further."
(On "Give me travel tips for") "For [Chicago], skip the long line at the famous deep-dish place and get tavern-style thin crust instead. What else is on the list?"
(On "Typical Sunday") "Farmers market plus a four-hour nap is an elite Sunday. What's the one thing you always buy?"
(On "I geek out on") "I know nothing about [birding] and now I'm curious. What's the bird people get weirdly excited about?"
(On "Together, we could") "I'm in on [the taco crawl]. I'd like to submit [spot] for consideration."
(On "The dorkiest thing about me is") "A color-coded spreadsheet of national parks sounds organized to me, honestly. Which one's at the top?"
(On "I'm looking for") "Someone who actually reads the book for book club is a strong standard. What are you reading right now?"
(On "First round is on me if") "Challenge accepted. My answer is [answer]. Do I owe you a round or do you owe me one?"
(On "Change my mind about") "I'm not going to try to change your mind on [cilantro]. I'm just here to say you're right."

Each one shows you read it, adds a small piece of you, and leaves her an easy reply.

Openers for her photos

Comment on what's in the photo. Her looks aren't off-limits, but a compliment on her appearance is the comment she gets most, so it rarely stands out. If you do want to compliment her, tie it to something real ("You look thrilled to have made it to the top in that hiking photo") instead of a general "gorgeous."

(Ballpark) "Important question: do you keep score on the little card, or are you there for the nachos? No wrong answer."
(Hiking) "This looks like [the Flatirons]. Is that the trail where everyone underestimates the last mile?"
(With a dog) "I need a name and a full bio for the dog."
(Concert) "Who are we seeing here? Judging by the lighting it was a good night."
(Cooking or food) "That looks homemade and much better than anything I made this week. What is it?"
(Traveling) "Where is this? I'm adding it to a list I will definitely act on someday."
(Wedding or friends) "This looks like the fun table at the wedding. Which one gave the speech?"
(Doing a sport) "Okay, how long have you been [climbing]? That wall looks hard."

If you can't tell what's happening in the photo, use a prompt instead. Guessing wrong is fine. Guessing weird is a problem.

Openers for a voice or video prompt

Some people answer a prompt with a short recording. Fewer guys respond to these, so a comment on one stands out a bit. React to what she said, not to her voice.

"The story about [the raccoon in your kitchen] needs a part two. What happened next?"
"You said your go-to karaoke song is [song]. Respect. Do you do the dance too, or just the vocals?"
"I tried saying your name the way you showed and I think I got it. Am I close?" (only if she did a name-pronunciation prompt)
"I listened to this twice because I couldn't believe [the airport story]. Please tell me you made the flight."
"Your laugh at the end gave away the lie. I'm guessing [option]."

When she liked you first

She already picked the topic. Use it.

(She commented on your prompt) Answer her question, then ask one back. "Ha, the lie is the Sonic one. The national parks one is true, 14 so far. Have you been to any?"
(She liked a prompt, no comment) "Glad the shopping cart thing passed the test. Do you return yours, or am I about to be disappointed?"
(She liked a photo, no comment) "That's from a trip to [Big Sur] where I got exactly one good photo and a sunburn. Best place you've been this year?"
(She guessed the lie in your two truths) "Correct, and you're the first to get it right. You've earned the real story."
(She disagreed with your opinion) "Okay, I respect the commitment. Make your case."
(She mentioned a place you both like) "Wait, you go to [coffee shop]? Then you know about the [specific drink]. Thoughts?"

When you matched and nobody said anything

"We matched and then both stared at the screen. I'll go first: what's the best thing you've eaten this month?"
(Pick a prompt) "Going back to your [Typical Sunday] answer, because I have questions about the four-hour nap."
"Your profile says you're from [Ohio]. I've been to Columbus once and I'm told I did it wrong. What did I miss?"
"Keeping it simple. What's taking up most of your brain this week?"

One conversation, from opener to plan

Openers get a reply. The trouble usually starts around message three, when both people run out of things to say about the original prompt. So walk through one example.

Say her profile has "I go crazy for: Thai food at 2 a.m." You like it with a short comment, she matches, and her first message says she has strong feelings about pad see ew. Don't jump to a new topic. Build on hers:

"Okay, [Thai food] at 2 a.m. is a strong pick. Is there a specific place, or are we talking delivery and a couch?"

She names the place. Now give her something of yours, so it stops feeling like an interview:

"Mine would be a breakfast burrito from the gas station near my place. It shouldn't be good. It is."

A few messages later she mentions she's tired because she's running in the mornings, and she brought up running in her profile too. That's a thing she cares about. Ask:

"You've mentioned [running] twice now. Are you training for something?"

The conversation's going well, she's asking questions back, and you've been at it for a day or so. That's your window. Suggest something specific:

"I'm enjoying this, and I think the [burrito vs. pad see ew] debate needs to be settled in person. Want to grab a drink Thursday? There's a spot near [neighborhood] with a good patio."

You don't need a week of messages first. If she says yes, great. If she says she's busy and offers another night, take it. If she says she's busy and offers nothing, that's usually an answer too, and you let it be one. How to ask a girl out over text has more ways to phrase the ask, and how to tell if she's interested over text covers the signs either way, including what a no looks like.

What if she doesn't reply on Hinge?

She might be busy, juggling a few conversations, or not interested. You can't tell which from your end. So: one friendly follow-up at most, then move on.

Give it a few days. Then send something light that doesn't ask her to explain the silence:

"Still thinking about your [Big Sur] photo. Hope your week's going well."
"No pressure, but I'm still curious about the dog's name."
"Hope things are good. If you're up for it, I'd still like to hear the end of the airport story."

If she doesn't answer that, you have your answer. No third message, no "did I say something wrong?", and don't look her up anywhere else. If she unmatches, that's final. One person deciding how to spend her own time says very little about you. More on this in she hasn't replied in 2 days: what to do and how to know when to stop texting.

Openers to leave in drafts

"Hey" and "Hi, how are you?" are polite enough. They just hand her nothing to work with. Comments about her body, even ones you mean as compliments, are out. So are copy-paste lines you send to everyone, which she can spot and her group chat definitely can.

Long openers fail too. If she has to scroll to finish your first message, it's too long. Negative ones ("You probably won't reply but...") make her do the work of reassuring a stranger. And anything framed as a test, like "prove you're not boring," is a strange thing to demand of someone you've never met.

How long should I wait to message after matching?

No rule worth following. Reply when you see it and have a minute to write something real. Waiting on purpose so you seem busy only slows down a conversation you both wanted.

What if my own profile isn't getting comments?

Start with your prompts. Specific answers with a hook in them get commented on, and vague ones get scrolled past. There are 50 Hinge prompt answers for guys organized by prompt if you want somewhere to start.