Hyves

Hyves, also known as Hyves.nl, was a Dutch social networking website launched in the mid-2000s and based in the Netherlands. It allowed users to create personal profiles, connect with friends, post status updates, upload photos, share blog posts, and participate in groups and events.

Users could customize profiles, add friends, leave comments, and send private messages. The site supported photo albums, wall posts, and application widgets that integrated games and other services. It offered privacy controls to limit who could see content and how others could interact with a user’s profile.

Hyves grew rapidly to become the most popular social networking platform in the Netherlands, attracting a large share of Dutch internet users and shaping online social behavior during the late 2000s. The platform helped drive online communication and community-building within Dutch-speaking online spaces.

As Facebook and other global platforms expanded across Europe, Hyves faced a decline in user numbers and activity. The Dutch network struggled to compete with the reach and features of larger platforms, along with changing patterns in mobile usage and monetization. During the early 2010s, Hyves’ prominence waned, and the service was gradually reduced in scope and eventually wound down as a general social network.

Despite its decline, Hyves is remembered for introducing many Dutch users to online social networking and for features that later became standard on larger platforms. Its presence marked an early chapter in the Netherlands’ internet history and the development of regional online communities.