How to Use Hinge Fresh Start: What Is It, and Should You Delete Instead?

If you’ve been on Hinge for months and feel stuck (same profiles, no new matches, or endless swiping with little success), you might be tempted to delete your account. 

But there’s another option: one that lets you refresh your experience without losing everything. It’s called Hinge Fresh Start.

What does Hinge Fresh Start do?

Fresh Start isn’t a full reset, but it’s a smart way to clear your swiping history and refresh your Discover feed without losing your profile, login, or ongoing conversations.

Hinge doesn’t exactly shout about this feature, but if you’ve ever tried to delete your account, you might’ve seen the option pop up. 

Here’s what Fresh Start does:

• Clears out your past likes and passes, meaning people you swiped left on may reappear, and people who swiped left on you could see you again.
• Resets your Discover feed, often surfacing profiles that were previously hidden (including some that only appeared in Standouts).
• Gives you a temporary “new user” boost, so your profile shows up higher and more frequently in other people’s feeds.
• Keeps your existing matches and chats intact, so you don’t lose ongoing conversations.
• Leaves your profile (photos, prompts, preferences) unchanged, unless you update them yourself.
• Keeps blocks and unmatches in place: people you removed won’t suddenly reappear.

Think of it like restarting a level in a game without losing your saved progress. You get a fresh round of exposure but don’t have to rebuild your profile from zero.

How to Activate the Hinge Fresh Start

The option only appears during the account deletion process, and not everyone will see it. Here’s how to trigger it:

1. Open the Hinge app.
2. Go to Settings → Delete or Pause Account.
3. Select Delete Account.
4. When asked “Why are you leaving?”, choose “Not happy with Hinge” or “Prefer not to say.” Positive reasons like “Found someone” may bypass the Fresh Start prompt.
5. If eligible, you’ll see a Fresh Start screen. Confirm to reset your feed instead of deleting.

Heads up:

• If you tap too quickly, you might accidentally delete your account instead of resetting.
• Fresh Start typically appears only after you’ve been active for a while (usually 2–3+ months).
• Hinge support has confirmed you can usually use Fresh Start once every 30 days.

Does Fresh Start Really Reset the Hinge Algorithm?

Yes, but only partially… Fresh Start resets swipe history so that people you passed on reappear, and those who passed on you may get another chance to see you.

It gives you a visibility boost, similar to the one new users get, putting your profile higher in other people’s feeds. Many report a burst of matches right after Fresh Start, especially within the first 24–72 hours.

But it’s not a full algorithm wipe. If your profile wasn’t strong to begin with, the same problems will return. Bad photos, weak prompts, or lack of engagement will still hurt your results.

The boost is short-lived. After a few weeks, activity usually tapers back to normal. The real trick is to treat Fresh Start as a second chance to show up better, not just show up again.

Hinge Fresh Start vs. Deleting Your Account

The core difference between Fresh Start and deleting your account is that the former doesn’t wipe your account (including progress) clean.

What Happens with Fresh Start:

Your swipe history is cleared, and profiles you rejected or who rejected you are reintroduced. Matches and chats remain, too, so no need to be scared there.

Profile stays the same unless you update it. People you unmatched or blocked stay hidden, though. Be strategic! Fresh Starts are usually available once per account, or once every 30 months.

Best for:

• Users who want to refresh without losing progress.
• People who updated their photos or prompts and want to showcase the “new version.”
• Avoiding awkward run-ins with exes or old matches.
• Anyone frustrated with low activity but not ready to start completely over.

What Happens When You Delete Your Account and Start Over

Your profile, matches, messages, and swiping history are permanently erased; however, Hinge may retain some data for about months for moderation and safety.

Everyone, including exes, blocked users, and people you passed, can see you again if you make a new account. You may get a stronger new-user boost than Fresh Start provides.

You must rebuild your profile from scratch (photos, prompts, settings), because if you reuse your phone number or email, your visibility might be limited.

Pro tip: If you’re planning to delete your Hinge account and start again, avoid reusing your personal phone number. Services like DatingZest Hinge Verification provide alternate numbers specifically for dating apps. This reduces the risk of being flagged or shadowbanned for making multiple accounts.

Best for:

• Users who want a complete disappearance from Hinge.
• Anyone convinced their account is stuck, flagged, or shadowbanned.
• People okay with rebuilding everything from scratch.
• Those who want to reset after a long break.

Tips to Make the Most of Hinge’s Fresh Start Feature

To make the most out of Fresh Start, you need to put in the work. All it does is give you a slight nudge, and after that, it’s up to make full use of your Hinge profile’s potential!

1. Revamp your profile first. Swap in fresh & high-quality photos, rewrite prompts to be more engaging. Update job, school, or location info, and don’t forget to get outside feedback from friends or subreddits like r/hingeapp.

2. Use Fresh Start at the right time: after a long, dry spell, when you’ve made major improvements to your profile, if you’ve moved, and/or around high-traffic times (weekends, “Dating Sunday” in January).

3. Don’t overdo resets because constantly deleting and remaking accounts can hurt your visibility. Hinge tracks accounts via phone/email and may limit exposure if you reset too often.

4. Be active immediately after. Log in daily, respond quickly, and send thoughtful likes; the algorithm boost is short, so capitalize on it while it lasts.

5. Block before you reset. If you want to avoid certain people (like exes), block them first. Fresh Start respects blocks, but deletion does not.

Is Hinge Fresh What You Need?

Fresh Start won’t fix everything, but it is a smart, low-risk way to get a second chance without losing your profile or matches.

If your account feels stale, Fresh Start first. It’s quick, safe, and keeps what matters. If you want to truly disappear, avoid old matches, or rebuild with a new identity, deletion is the more drastic but complete choice.

But before you make up your mind, I need you to know of every possible outcome, and yes…that includes potential disappointments, too.

• Big boost: You may see 10+ matches within hours, often with higher-quality profiles you’ve never seen before.
• Mild improvement: Nothing too crazy, but you could experience a slight improvement that may or may not stick around.
• No change: If your profile looks the same, a Fresh Start will likely not work in resetting your algorithm or matching efficiency.
• Short-lived: This type of boost only lasts days to a couple of weeks, not permanently.
• Small cities: If you live somewhere with a small dating pool, it’s possible that profiles will be recycled no matter what.

Odd quirks: Some matched with people they’d liked weeks earlier because pending likes don’t disappear on the other person’s end.

In the end, the reset itself won’t save you unless you also improve your profile. Hinge can refresh its algorithm. Only you can refresh how you show up.