Make a Good Tinder Profile
Whether you’re looking for love or just a bit of fun, the Tinder app may be able to help. This free, widely popular app can be set up quickly and easily. While any good dating profile requires carefully choosing your photographs, this is especially important on Tinder. Some folks will also read your bio, so there are a few things to keep in mind when describing yourself to a potential match.
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[hide]Steps
Selecting Great Photos
- Select a cover photo that represents you well. The largest photo on your profile’s "Edit Info" screen is the default photo that will appear on your card as people swipe through Tinder. This photo is extremely important, as it’s the only thing that many users will see before swiping right or left to indicate whether they are interested or not. Aside from clearly showing what you currently look like, it should also reflect your personality or lifestyle.
- For instance, if you’re a business type, you might want to consider a photo that shows you in a suit. Or, if you’re all about the outdoors, a photo in a park may be the way to go.
- In order to represent your appearance accurately, use photos that were taken recently.
- Note that Tinder will sometimes reorder your photos so that the one that most people swipe right on is your primary photo.
- Work in a classic head shot. Head shots of you looking happy are usually the best photos to use on dating applications. Make sure your profile includes at least one head shot that shows you smiling. Believe it or not, the position of your head matters too - photos with a slight tilt of the head lead to more matches.
- Add multiple photos to your profile. Shoot for at least three photos on your profile. This will allow potential matches to get a good sense of what you look like, as well as the type of person you are. Specifics are up to you, but it’s best to try and reflect yourself as honestly and genuinely as possible.
- Ideas for good profile photos include action shots of you doing something you're interested in, such as putt-putt golf or acrobatics.
- Travel photos are another good idea, as they provide a great conversation starter.
- Another common trope is photos with animals. Note that photos with pets are much more likely to lead to matches than hunting photos.
- Go without the cringe-worthy selfies. No matter how proud you are of your bod, most people agree that shirtless shots aren’t very tasteful. Granted, there’s a big difference between a shirtless selfie in the bathroom mirror and a photo of you on the beach. As a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t want your employer to see the photo, consider choosing another.
- To reiterate: mirror selfies, especially shirtless mirror selfies, are not recommended.
- Use only clear photos that are focused on you. If a photo is out of focus, it sends the wrong message. Photos should also clearly emphasize what you look like, so photos that don’t include you should be extremely limited.
- Feel free to include a humorous photo, especially if this reflects your personality. Still, keep the emphasize of your photos on demonstrating what you look like.
- Post limited group photos. One or two group photos are great to include in your profile, as they send the message that you’re sociable and friendly. However, make sure not to use all group photos, so your potential match knows which human you are!
- Link your Instagram account. If you have an Instagram account, consider linking it to your Tinder profile. This will allow Tinder users to see the most recent 29 photos posted on your Instagram. Note that this is entirely optional, but it does give potential matches more insight into the type of person you are, and may make them more comfortable about meeting someone online.
- Be aware that linking your Instagram account to your Tinder does give people access to your Instagram username.
- If you do link your account, consider setting up your Instagram account so that potential followers have to "request" to follow you.
Writing an Appealing Bio
- Write something in the “About” section. In the “Edit Info” area of the Tinder app, you can add text that will show up in your profile when people touch your photo to check you out further. It’s worth writing something here, even if you want to keep it short and simple. In fact, you probably don’t want to put too much - just a line or two to reflect your personality or a few things that are important to you.
- The easiest option, which also provides good conversation starters and date ideas, is to include the types of activities you enjoy.
- For instance, write something like, “Likes to float in rivers. Also very into eating Korean food.”
- Consider mentioning what you’re looking for. Being explicit about what you’re looking for on Tinder can benefit both you and your potential matches. Some folks use the app to find people for casual hookups, while others are hoping to find a more serious relationship.
- Simply put something like, “Just here for some fun,” or “Looking for that ride-or-die.”
- Note: “NSA” stands for “no strings attached,” which means someone is looking for a casual relationship.
- Attempt humor somewhere. Especially if all your photos are on the serious side, it’s worth including something on the lighter side in your bio. You don’t quite have to tell a joke, but do let potential matches in on your sense of humor.
- Good examples include silly questions, such as “If you were a breed of dog, what breed would you be?” or mock confessions, such as “I listen to “Starboy” by The Weekend at least a dozen times a day.”
- Avoid numbers. While height has become an extremely common attribute to include numerically in dating profiles, you can simply write that you’re tall, or that you’re interested in tall folks. More importantly, numbers that you definitely want to avoid include things like IQ, GPA, body proportions, or income.
- Even if someone is interested in smart people, for instance, they’re probably not interested in smart people who like to tell other people how smart they are.
- Start conversations with your matches. One of the more frustrating aspects of using Tinder is getting matches that never lead to conversations. Feel free to initiate conversations with matches yourself, and be sure to reply to messages from your matches or un-match them if you're no longer interested.
- Don't take your conversations too seriously, especially at first. Keep questions and comments flirty and fun.
- Most importantly, convey your personality honestly! If you're hoping to meet someone, give them a good idea of who you are. This will make that first date go much more smoothly.
