HUD review: casual dating, My Bedroom, privacy and prices

What HUD is

HUD is a casual dating app run by HUD Studio Limited, a company registered in New Zealand with its address in Auckland. The Google Play developer is listed as HUD Android Limited. The App Store description opens with "HUD App is a casual dating app that is honest about the realities of online dating" and goes on: "A safe space for like-minded people to connect, and explore dating freely."

HUD quotes three community sizes on its own pages: over 15 million people on the homepage, over 19 million users on Google Play and more than 20 million adult singles in the App Store description. None comes with a date or a definition, so each is a marketing figure and none is a count of active users. No gender ratio or age split is published. The pages checked give no launch year and no country list, only the word "worldwide".

Who HUD is for

The listings address adults who want to say up front that they are after something casual, and people in open relationships. The App Store text speaks to people "new to open relationships" and to anyone "looking to explore dating on your own terms," and adds "Explore open relationships in a safe and honest environment." The homepage describes "a community full of open-minded and like-minded individuals who prioritise connection over commitment." Apps ranked for that setup are in the open relationship app picks.

Google Play says the app supports "all orientations and gender identities, from women, men, and non-binary people, to the LGBTQIA+ community, singles or couples, everyone is welcome." That makes HUD an inclusive, mixed-audience product, and the LGBTQ hookup and dating app list sorts apps built for one audience. Couples are welcome in that wording, but linked or paired couple profiles are not described; apps for couples and threesomes covers apps that have them.

Dating or hookup

HUD talks in two registers. Google Play uses the blunt one: the title is "HUD Hookup App: Dating & Chat" and the short description is "Adult NSA anonymous hookups with fun singles and FWB around you." (FWB is explained in what FWB means.) The App Store and the website use the softer one: "casual dating," "without commitment," and from the homepage, "Fun without Strings Attached unless you're into that." The terms say the service lets like-minded individuals "meet each other, chat with each other and/or explore casual or short-term relationships."

The wording also puts desire up front. The App Store says "Embrace shame-free casual dating, explore your desires, and meet like-minded people near you," and the homepage says "Explore your desires like never before." Google Play does use the phrase "meaningful, pressure-free connections," yet nothing in the listings positions the app around relationships. For a search on hookup apps or one night stand apps, HUD qualifies on its own wording. The best hookup apps and one night stand apps lists rank it against others, and how hookup apps work describes the category.

My Bedroom and profile fields

The profile feature HUD leads with is called My Bedroom. The homepage says it shows what a match is "into, open to and not into," and Google Play describes it as "Share your preferences and discover compatibility before you match." A Bedroom Archetype sits beside those preferences and also shows compatibility before a match. Nothing in the listings spells out the other profile fields.

HUD's site also runs blog articles on kink and cuckolding. People who want an app built around kink can start with the kink dating app list.

Matching and messaging

Matches arrive as a feed of recommended profiles. You can like or comment on a part of a match's profile, and the My Bedroom preferences show compatibility before you match. The privacy policy says HUD uses an algorithm to compare your profile with other users' profiles and may use machine learning.

Chat runs between matches and takes photos, videos and voice messages; the App Store lists "Send and receive videos, photos, and voice messages." Video calls can start with cameras blurred: the homepage promises you can "keep your cameras blurred until you know you're comfortable," and Google Play calls it Auto-Blur Video Chat. HUD AI and staff moderate profile photos plus the messages and media files sent in chat. Calls are the exception, because the privacy policy says "HUD does not monitor or moderate any video calls," and the other person's device may be able to record one. More apps with this feature are collected under dating apps with video chat.

Free messaging is not confirmed: neither the terms nor the store listings say whether two Basic members can exchange messages without paying, and no daily limit on likes is stated. Group chat and disappearing messages are not described, and Sparks, which the App Store sells separately, are not explained in the terms.

Search and filters

The App Store lists "Advanced match filters" and Google Play lists "Advanced Search: Filter matches to suit your lifestyle and intentions." Which plan includes them is not stated, and the listings do not name the filter options. Other apps with this feature are compared in dating apps with advanced filters.

Location

The privacy policy says approximate location, meaning city and country, comes from an IP address lookup or from device location services, goes into the profile and is used to match people within a specified range. Exact distance display is not described. The App Store tagline promises people "near you," and no travel or passport feature is mentioned. See also location-based matching and dating apps with travel mode.

Privacy and incognito

Google Play's short description uses the word anonymous, yet no incognito or browse-hidden feature is described in the sources. The terms describe a Pause option in section 8.3 that hides the profile from the feed and from new members, which is a different thing. For photos, the App Store lists "private photo sharing" and Google Play lists "Photo Protection Blur: Receive media only when and how you choose." An iPhone in-app purchase called Photo Access exists, and the listing does not describe what it covers.

On data, HUD Studio Limited holds user data on AWS servers, including in the United States. The privacy policy, last updated October 17, 2024, says it collects approximate location from an IP address or the device, a device ID, and facial biometric data when you verify a photo. Data is deleted after 270 consecutive days of inactivity, except billing and legal records. HUD says it will never share or sell personal information to advertisers, and Google Play's data safety section says "No data shared with third parties." The policy still allows disclosure on a sale of the business and to law enforcement, and other users can screenshot or record what you share. The wider picture is in the dating app privacy guide, and the anonymous hookup app picks rank apps on this need.

Verification and safety

The App Store lists Live Video Verification. By the privacy policy's wording it is optional: "If you wish to verify your profile photo HUD, through the use of third party services, captures a number of photos from a live video stream." Terms section 10.3 add that the liveliness check also confirms the age requirement. The check involves third-party facial biometric processing, and whether free accounts can use it is not stated. Other apps with checks are listed under verification across apps.

The other tools are the blurred video chat, Photo Protection Blur for received media, in-app reporting with a dedicated option for reporting people under 18, and the AI and staff moderation described above. Video calls are outside that moderation. The safety on dating apps and the page on romance scams cover what any app leaves to the user.

Free version

Terms section 6.1 says "As a Basic Member, you are entitled to access a minimal level of the Service's features and functionality without any charge." The App Store puts it more gently: "If you don't choose to purchase HUD Premium, you can simply continue using HUD for free." The exact list of free features is not published, and HUD's help center, which may hold plan-by-plan lists, was not readable when checked. The App Store in-app purchase list uses names (Diamond Membership, Bronze Package) that do not match the terms' Premium and Premium+, and how they map is not stated. Apps compared on what a free account does are collected under free hookup apps and what dating apps give you for free.

Pricing

All prices below come from iPhone App Store listings, checked on November 5, 2026. On the US App Store the lowest listed price is USD 12.99, for an item named Basic Package, and the listing states no billing period. The lowest listed price with a period stated on the US App Store is Hud Premium for 1 week at USD 14.99. The US App Store also lists Diamond Membership at USD 19.99 for 1 week and USD 49.99 for 1 month, and Premium at USD 69.99 for 3 months.

On the UK App Store the lowest listed price is GBP 12.99, for Hud Premium for 1 week. Google Play shows only a range of "$7.99 - $149.99 per item" on its US view, so Android per-tier prices and web prices are not covered. The country-by-country breakdown, add-ons and refunds are on the HUD pricing page.

Cancelling and deleting

Subscriptions are bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play and cancelled there by turning off auto-renew. A free trial converts to a paid plan unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before it ends, and the App Store text adds "No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period." The steps for any app are in the guide to cancelling a dating app subscription.

To delete an account, choose "Delete Account" in the profile settings. That removes the profile along with matches and messages, and it cannot be undone. A termination request can also be emailed to HUD support. Deleting the account does not cancel a store subscription, so that has to be done in the store as well. The same topic for other apps is in deleting an account.

Platforms and age

HUD has an iPhone and iPad app and an Android app, package co.hud.app, with 500K+ downloads on Google Play. A web version of the dating app is not confirmed; hudapp.com is described as the website for the mobile app. For options that skip the download, see web versions of dating apps. HUD is listed in 42 of 45 App Store storefronts checked and missing from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

The terms say "You are at least 18 years old" (section 2.1) and "HUD is strictly for users aged 18 and over" (section 10.1). The privacy policy says people under 18 are not authorised to use the website or the service. The App Store shows 18+ and Google Play shows Mature 17+.

Pros and cons

Alternatives

People who want a different mix can start with the HUD alternatives list. The casual dating apps hub, the hookup apps hub and the sex app picks sort other apps by purpose.

HUD review verdict