HER's new 'Feelings' feature makes intros less awkward

In May, Match Group (the dating app conglomerate that owns Tinder, Hinge, and others) acquired HER, a dating app for queer women, nonbinary, and trans sapphics.

While things have been relatively quiet on the surface since the buy-out, HER did roll out a new feature this summer called "Feelings." It's akin to a status update, designed to help users communicate more confidently and honestly upfront, and — as the name suggests — share how they're feeling.

"Feelings" are tags you can add to your profile to let potential matches know what you're looking for or what kind of mood you're in. You can also add a short note next to your "Feeling" tag to elaborate a little more.

Once you set a "Feeling," it'll show up on your profile, Meet (the app's discovery feature), matches, and chats. This way, all bases are covered, and there's no way someone else can pretend you're blindsiding them with your intentions. "Feelings" disappear in 48 hours to help you keep things fresh.

Credit: HER

Using the "Feelings" feature is pretty simple. All you have to do is go to your profile page, and you should see a "How are you feeling?" prompt at the top. Tap it and browse your options. Examples include "Just talking," "Go on a date," "Flirty," and "Hook up." You can choose up to three and add a line of text, if you'd like. Then just click "update my Feelings."

If you see a "Feeling" tag that you relate to on someone else's profile, you can even tap a little plus sign (+) to add it to your own.

At the end of the day, the goal is to have better conversations with less anxiety. No more wondering if the other person is looking for something casual when you’re on the hunt for a life partner, or vice versa.