Dating app Hinge matches friends of Facebook friends

Scan the photos. Interested, swipe right. Not interested, swipe left.

It's a familiar game for singles looking for a date (or a hookup) in the digital age, thanks to the popular app Tinder. Two people in the same vicinity swipe right -- match! -- and meet up.

Or not. Afterall, you don't really know that person. Maybe your friends don't either.

Hinge, a dating app launching in the Twin Cities today, pitches a friendlier connection. It's similar to Tinder, but draws from friends of Facebook friends (and sometimes friends of friends of friends) to suggest matches in your geographic area. In the words of the Hinge's marketing, "No randos."

"Most people would prefer to meet someone new through friends in the real world," said Karen Fein, director of marketing at Hinge. "You've got this validation. You have people who can vouch [for him or her]. You can get the scoop in advance."

The free app sends users a list of potential connections each day, which they can dismiss by swiping left or express interest in by swiping right. Profiles show a potential match's photo, full name and some biographical data, like interests and where the potential date works. It also explains the link between Facebook friends.

It's all about making the initial meetup easier, Fein said.

There were about 2,000 Twin Cities metro area residents on a list to be notified when Hinge launched, the longest waiting list of any metro area in the country, Fein said. The average user has 36 Facebook friends on Hinge, she said.

Hinge started in Washington, DC, in 2013, and has since spread to other cities across the country. It's now based in New York. The company won't share total user numbers, but claims it's made 8 million matches. The app draws more young professionals than college students, Fein said, because it "is a way to keep meeting people through the network you have" once you've left the college -- and it's active social life -- behind.