Hily

Hily was founded by Alex Pasykov,^[1] alongside co-founders Dmytro Kononov^[2][3] and Jake Vygnan.^[4][5] It was designed to connect prospective partners based on similar interests, instead of geographic location and physical attractiveness.^[6][7]

Hily was initially released in August 2017. By October 2017, the app had 35,000 users during its closed beta stage.^[4] Hily later acquired additional users through a partnership with Snapchat.^[8] Later, it was expanded to the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Japan, and Mexico.^[8][9] The United States became the application's largest market.

By August 2019, Hily had more than 5 million active users.^[10]

As of 2023, Hily's parent company reported offices in Las Vegas, London and Kyiv, approximately 600 employees across its applications, and about 28 million registered Hily users.^[11]

Industry reports published by Sensor Tower ranked Hily among the five highest-grossing dating applications in the United States in 2024 and 2025.^[12][13] In January 2026, Global Dating Insights reported that Hily was the third most-downloaded dating application in the United States.^[14]

Hily employs statistical algorithms to analyze data such as depth of dialogue, word choice, and mutual likes to identify profiles with a high probability for a match.^[4][6] Its "risk score" evaluates user profiles, using criteria such as verification status, user complaints, and other activity metrics instead of an "attractiveness score."^[4]

Hily requires account verification to confirm authenticity, using methods such as live photo capture, official ID uploads, or social media integration.^[4] It employs real-time image verification for new accounts, and its matching algorithm improves as user engagement increases.^[4] The app's registration options for gender include male, female, and non-binary.^[15]

In 2020, Hily introduced compatibility checks and video calls.^[5] The app also provides suggested icebreakers to facilitate initial interactions.^[16]

In 2025, Hily introduced Consent Guard, a feature that uses machine learning to detect sexually explicit text and images and withhold them until both users have indicated consent to view such content.^[17] The feature replaced an earlier Explicit Filter and allows users to set preferences for receiving explicit content.^[18]

In June 2025, Hily introduced a manchild-free profile label. Released alongside the launch of Sabrina Carpenter's song Manchild, the label allows users to indicate a preference in their profiles and does not affect account matching or filtering.^[19][20]

Hily has commissioned surveys on dating and relationship trends, the results of which have been cited by media outlets including Fast Company, The Hill, USA Today, Vice and Newsweek.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26]} A 2025 survey cited by The Hill reported that a majority of Generation Z and millennial respondents had experienced a workplace crush, while approximately one-third said they would consider leaving a job to pursue a relationship with a colleague.^[22]

In 2025, Hily partnered with OpenFortune on a promotional campaign in Los Angeles that distributed dating-themed fortune cookies. The campaign referenced survey findings indicating that 48 percent of surveyed American women had checked astrological compatibility before dating.^[27]