'Finally, a dating app feature I can get behind!' Singletons love Hinge's huge update which lets them automatically filter out time-wasters and creeps

With thousands of potential matches, opening up any dating app can feel like wading through a sea of spam and unwanted texts.

But now, Hinge has made it easier than ever to avoid time wasters and toxicity by letting users filter out unwanted terms. 

The new Hidden Words tool automatically blocks 'Likes with Comments' containing words, phrases or even emojis, as chosen by the users.

And from 'Sunday Roast' to 'F1', Hinge users have taken to social media to share the phrases and dating clichés that they're sick of hearing about. 

One X, formerly Twitter user, wrote: 'Finally, a dating app feature I can get behind.' 

Hinge has launched a new 'Hidden Words' feature that allows users to filter out a selection of words, phrases, and emojis 

On Hinge, instead of just liking the whole profile, users can also like a specific part such as a picture or prompt and choose to add a comment which the other user can read. 

The new feature, which was released this week, gives users the option to create a list of 'Hidden Words'.  

Any time a user receives a Like with Comment containing one of these words, that message will be filtered into a separate folder.

This means that unwanted messages won't add to your total like count but will be stored in a 'Hidden Likes folder'.

From there, the messages can either be reviewed individually or deleted without ever being opened. 

Users who are filtered out are not automatically blocked or reported but you can chose to do so after reading their comments.  

To set up your own list of hidden words simply navigate to the Settings tab on the Hinge app.

Under 'Safety' select 'Hidden Words' to bring up your own list and add any terms you would rather not hear about.  

Additionally, users will be able to add to their Hidden Words list if reporting messages as inappropriate. 

On X, Hinge users have welcomed the new feature, with one commenter writing: 'This new hidden words feature of Hinge is lifesaving.'

Another added: 'The new Hidden Words feature on Hinge is the best thing they've ever done.' 

While another said they were 'gutted this didn't exist back when I used Hinge'. 

On social media, X users welcomed the new feature with some saying that this was finally 'a dating app feature I can get behind' 

To add to your own list of blocked words navigate to Settings and select 'Hidden Words' under the safety settings 

Some called the feature a 'lifesaving' and shared screenshots of the words they would like to stop hearing about 

A few X users even shared their own lists of hidden words, offering a hint at what singletons on Hinge are sick of hearing about.

And it is bad news for lovers of a Sunday walk and a roast as these terms were right at the top of the list of hidden words for some.

Anyone talking about 'F1', 'Banter', 'Pizza', and even 'Clapham' might also see themselves being filtered out by many with this new feature. 

Posting a screenshot of their hidden words, one commenter shared 'the only way to use the hidden words feature' as they filtered out the term 'Pineapple on pizza'.  

Some Hinge users shared their feelings that words like 'Sunday roast', 'F1' and 'Banter' would be on their list of hidden words  

Screenshots of users' Hidden Words lists offers a unique insight into the topics that Hinge users hear about all to often 

However, Hinge says that this new feature isn't just about avoiding topics of conversation you find boring. 

Instead, the Hidden Words option is designed to 'help detour a negative interaction before it starts'.

Research has previously suggested that online abuse, including on dating apps, is on the rise. 

A 2021 study from the Pew Research Centre found that four in 10 Americans had received online harassment.

The issue is particularly prevalent for women who are more likely to receive sexual harassment and for LGBTQ dating app users who are more likely to face abuse. 

In the face of this rise, other dating apps have also taken measures to cut down on unwanted interactions.

Notably, Tinder has recently taken steps to enhance its verification procedures to crack down on 'catfishing' and bots.  

One user even joked that 'the only way to use the hidden words feature' is to block any mention of 'Pineapple on pizza' 

While social media users joked about avoiding annoying terms, Hinge says that its new feature is designed to cut down on abuse and unwanted interactions 

Jeff Dunn, Hinge's vice president of trust and safety, says: 'This feature is about giving daters the ability to define their boundaries, enhancing their confidence in the process. 

'Our hope is that with Hidden Words, users will feel reassured they can explore potential connections in a way that's most comfortable to them, leading to safer and more satisfying dating experiences.'

While Hinge claims that this is the first time a dating app has offered this feature, it is not the first company to offer selective filtering for its users.

Instagram first allowed users to filter offensive terms out of posts in 2016 before extending the option to direct messages.

After Hinge made their announcement, Meta also added their own 'Hidden Words' feature to Threads, allowing users to mute words, phrases, and emojis. 

This feature applies to your 'Following' and 'For You' feeds as well as your search results, replies, and profile searches. 

Additionally, Threads is experimenting with options to control who can quote your post and give users the option to 'de-quote' their own posts.

Like Hinge, Meta claims these features are aimed at reducing the amount of unwanted interactions.