Thought red flags were the only color that can help you decode your love life? No! The newest term coined by Gen Z is beige flags, as of 2022, but it’s gained popularity over the last year on TikTok — a platform that explains every detail of life, including new terms, as an updated street dictionary.
TikTok breaks down the what beige flags means, and it seems the right place to do it since the term wasn’t born on the streets, it comes from the platform itself. Caitlin MacPhail (@itscaito) claims to be CEO of beige flags in her profile description or, in other words, the first person to employ it.
MacPhail describes it as those signs that make you understand someone is uninteresting, unoriginal or is just plain boring.
@itscaito beige is the new red and in other news dating apps are a wasteland 🚩 #hinge #redflags #datingredflags #hingedating ♬ original sound – Caito
It started with dating apps
According to the Urban Dictionary a beige flag is “something that’s neither good nor bad but makes you pause for a minute when you notice it and then you just continue on. Something odd.”
But before being used in relationships, it started as a way to tell if someone’s dating app profile is flat.
“Beige flags are often generic or very cliche things that many people put in their profiles,” the Urban Dictionary says. Pictures holding fish, statements about tacos and mentioning the relationships of TV characters are some examples from the dictionary of slang that set off alarm bells, but not too loudly.
@beige_flags Anyone else feel like this going through hinge? They had so much potential before they got to the prompts…#hinge #hingedating #hingeapp #hingeprompts #hingeprofile #hingeprofile #dating #datingapps ♬ original sound – Beige Flags
Neither bad nor good
Right now, many people refer to beige flags as those habits of their partners that stop them in their tracks for a couple of seconds but are not considered green or red flags. They are not concerning per se like the red flags that highlight harmful behaviors that can lead you into a toxic relationship. Nor are they a completely positive signal, such as green flags, where you find yourself with a good match.
You can distinguish the beige flags in your current partner, but it also helps you to understand if a potential partner resonates with what you’re looking for. There is nothing wrong with that person – what is boring for some is exciting for others – but these signs can alert you to poor compatibility.
How to identify or fix beige flags?
These quirks are not worrying, just unoriginal. However, if you want to succeed in the dating world you probably need to change some details about what you show on your dating profile or be attentive to what you are looking for in someone else’s profile.
If you have an incomplete profile, with not enough description and photos, you are not giving your best and others will notice your lack of effort.
A generic profile will stop you from making a match with someone you really have things in common with. Your uniqueness is key.
@beige_flags When you spend no time filling out your hinge profile… #hinge #hingedating #hingeapp #hingeprompts #hingeprofile #dating #datingapps #beigeflags ♬ You Sure About That _ ITYSL – Golden Key Prints
A beige flag is about depth
Since the term began to gain popularity, its definition has been slightly broadened. But some have twisted the true meaning and this annoys MacPhail, who has posted other videos on TikTok explaining how to use it correctly.
In short, it would be the signs you’re too boring to date.
“These are not beige flags. These are annoying slash disgusting things that your partner does,” MacPhail says. “As you and I both know, a beige flag is something on a single person’s dating profile that shows without meeting them that they might be really fucking boring.”
@itscaito R U BEIGE?? the original and the best, here to help out hukum 😤😤 #beigeflags #hingeprofile #hinge #datingapps #hingedating #datingadvice ♬ original sound – Caito
Beige flags exposed
Slightly unusual behaviors, lack of originality, a peculiar habit or boring features are the main signifiers of beige flags on TikTok. Apparently, there is no consensus on the true meaning, so everyone shares curious details about their partners.
@bitchybearz says her partner hosts surprise theme parties just for her, and while some people think it’s cute, others find it weird. On another side, @tegan.s boyfriend puts in the least amount of effort to always be ready at the last minute.
Tay’s boyfriend (@rickandtay) answers her questions without elaborating anything, and this seems to annoy her a bit. He is a man of few words and she wants more information.
It seems that what some people consider boring can jump pretty quickly into the realm of annoying for others.
The beige flags, examples according to the CEO
While many content creators on TikTok confuse the terms and reveal very green flags or some worrying red ones, MacPhail explains in a series of videos on TikTok what beige flags can be in online dating profiles.
For example, a profile with extremely generic hobbies can give the impression that you have no depth. Many people drink coffee, have traveled or love to eat. Describing yourself as adventurous doesn’t say anything personal about you either.
Many selfies raise some flags, too. This could be indicating that they have no friends, hobbies, have a monotonous lifestyle or are not showing their personality. If the selfies are at the gym and that person also makes a lot of references to the gym, these would be typical beige flags, she explains.
@itscaito R U BEIGE?? sarah we need more on the prompts babe!!! #beigeflags #beigeflag #hinge #datingapps #datingadvice #hingedating #hingeprofile ♬ original sound – Caito
According to MacPhail, you also shouldn’t put your opinion on pineapple on pizza or whether chocolate goes in the fridge or not on your profile. Avoid saying you’re fluent in sarcasm or that you are the proud parent of a plant.
As well, you should forget about referencing any extremely mainstream sitcoms. These generic comments, which many people make, are not relevant, she says. Or especially interesting.
Not everyone wants the same thing in a partner, so beige flags will vary. You don’t need to go around labeling everything, but in the meantime, TikTok can help you understand what you do and don’t want.
@beige_flags Stop dreading putting your own Himge profile together! Get some help from the ones who know you best.#hinge #hingedating #hingeapp #hingeprompts #hingeprofile #dating #datingapps #datinghack #beigeflags ♬ original sound – Beige Flags