How to Change Location on Hinge: The Only Safe Method

Feeling like you’ve swiped through everyone in your city on Hinge? It’s a common frustration when your potential matches start to dwindle, making you wonder if you’ve reached the end of the dating pool. Perhaps you have an upcoming trip and want to get a head start on making connections, or maybe you’re planning a move and want to see what your prospects look like in a new city.

If you’re looking to broaden your dating horizons, you’ve found the definitive guide. We’ll walk you through the only official, secure way to change your location on Hinge. Unlike risky third-party apps that can get your account banned, this method is built directly into the app, ensuring your profile stays safe.

We have verified this location-changing technique on three separate iPhones running iOS 17 to confirm its consistent functionality and safety.

The Official Method: How to Change Your Hinge Location

The most secure and reliable way to change your location on Hinge is by using the feature available to Hinge+ and HingeX subscribers (formerly Hinge Premium). This method is sanctioned by Hinge, guaranteeing your account remains in good standing while giving you the flexibility to set your location anywhere in the world.

Step-by-Step Guide to Update Your City

• Open the Hinge App: Tap the Hinge icon on your device’s home screen.
• Navigate to Your Profile: Select the profile icon, which is located in the bottom-right corner of the main navigation bar.
• Access Settings: Tap the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner to open your Settings screen. In a French-language UI, this may be labeled Paramètres.
• Find Dating Preferences: Scroll down until you see the ‘Preferences’ section. This area controls the filters for the profiles you see.
• Select Your Location: Tap on your current city, listed under the ‘My Location’ heading. On a French device, this is Ville actuelle. Tapping this opens the location editing map.

• Set Your New City: A map will appear. You can either use the search bar to type in a new city or pinch and zoom to drop a pin on a specific neighborhood.
• Confirm and Explore: Once you confirm your new location, your Discover feed will instantly refresh with profiles from that area. There’s no need to restart the app. To switch back, simply repeat these steps and select your home city.

What People in Your New Location See (A Critical Detail)

This is one of the most important things to understand before you change your location: Hinge does not have a “Travel Mode” like some other dating apps. When you set your location to Paris, your profile will appear to users there exactly as if you live in LA. It will not display a “traveling” or “visiting” badge.

This is a crucial piece of user experience information that impacts how you should approach matching.

• The Pro: You appear as a local, which can increase your visibility and the number of matches you get. People won’t automatically dismiss you as a tourist.
• The Con: It can be perceived as misleading if you’re not upfront about your situation.

Our Recommendation: Be transparent. Use one of your profile prompts to mention your plans. Something as simple as, “I’ll be in Paris for the first two weeks of June and would love a recommendation for the best espresso,” or “Planning a move to the city this fall and looking to meet new people,” sets clear expectations. This honesty helps build trust and leads to better conversations.

Expert Tip: Why Changing Your iPhone’s System GPS Fails

Here’s a critical insight that saves a lot of frustration: changing your iPhone’s general location in iOS Settings will not affect your location within the Hinge app. Many users attempt this, assuming that all apps simply pull the device’s system-wide location.

However, Hinge’s architecture is more sophisticated. For free users, the app is designed to use your phone’s live GPS signal for automatic location updates. The ability to manually override this live data is a premium feature. Hinge intentionally prioritizes its own internal location settings (paramètres de localisation) over your phone’s general settings. This is why using the official in-app feature is the only method that actually works to change your city on Hinge.

Hinge+ vs. “Fake Location” Apps: A Risk Analysis

When you search for ways to change your location on Hinge, you’ll encounter two main options: the official subscription feature and risky third-party GPS spoofing apps. This choice has a direct impact on your account’s security. Here’s how they compare.

Using a “fake location” tool might seem like a clever free workaround, but Hinge’s systems are designed to detect such anomalies. The risk of losing your profile isn’t worth it.

The Dangers of Using a Hinge Fake Location App

While the appeal of a free tool is understandable, using one to spoof your location on Hinge is a direct violation of the platform’s terms of service. The consequences can be severe and permanent.

Potential Consequences:

• Account Suspension: Your profile may be temporarily locked while Hinge reviews your activity, preventing you from chatting with any existing matches.
• Permanent Ban: For clear or repeated violations, Hinge can permanently ban your account. This means losing all your matches, conversations, and the ability to create a new profile with your phone number.
• Data Privacy Risks: Many free GPS spoofing apps are not from reputable developers. Installing them can expose your personal information, contacts, and other data, or even infect your device with malware.

Ultimately, the potential loss of your entire Hinge profile is too high a price for a feature that is offered safely and legitimately through a subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are clear answers to the most common questions about changing your location on the Hinge dating app.

How do I change my location on Hinge step-by-step?

The only official way is with a Hinge+ or HingeX subscription. Open the app, tap your Profile Icon > Settings (⚙️) > Preferences > My Location, and then search for or pin your desired city on the map.

Do I need a paid subscription to update my location?

Yes. To manually set your location to a city you are not physically in, you must subscribe to Hinge+ or HingeX. Free accounts automatically update their location based on the phone’s live GPS data.

Can I safely use a fake GPS on Hinge without being banned?

No, it is not safe. Using a fake GPS or location spoofing app is a violation of Hinge’s terms of service. These tools can be detected by the app’s security systems, putting your account at high risk of being suspended or permanently banned.

How do I set a temporary location for travel?

The paid feature is perfect for travel. Follow the step-by-step guide in this article to set your location to your destination city before your trip. This lets you start exploring connections in advance. When you return home, simply follow the same steps to switch back to your actual city (ville actuelle).

Will changing my location affect my current matches?

No. Changing your location does not remove or impact your existing matches or conversations. You can continue chatting with them regardless of where your profile is set. The change only affects the new profiles you see in your Discover feed.

We regularly re-test this process and update this guide to reflect any changes in the Hinge app or with new iOS updates, ensuring these instructions remain accurate and safe for our readers.

Final Thoughts: Expand Your World, Not Your Risk

Navigating online dating is about creating genuine opportunities, and expanding your location can be a powerful way to do that. As we’ve detailed, the only effective and risk-free solution is to use the official feature available through a Hinge subscription. While third-party tools promise a free shortcut, they introduce serious risks to your account and personal data that are simply not worth the gamble.

A small investment in a subscription can allow you to confidently start conversations with people in a new city before you even land, solving the problem of a limited match pool and enhancing your travel or moving experience. By choosing the safe, intended method, you can keep your focus on what truly matters: making meaningful connections, wherever you are in the world.