Tinder is the dating app that has taken the world by storm. Swiping right and swiping left has become part of our every day vernacular. As a guy, I get increasingly confused and/or frustrated while using the app because I think that some people just don’t understand how to utilize it, so here are my helpful hints to winning at Tinder for girls.
1) Your First Picture Should Be Flattering.
This is the first impression you are making on your potential suitors. Whether you want to hook up, looking for a relationship, or just looking for friends, you should always want to be showcasing the best you. First impressions are everything, especially in the do or die nature of Tinder. So pick a picture that you think you look great in and you’ll be rolling in the matches!
2) Don’t Have Just Group Photos.
This is the most frustrating part of Tinder or any dating site. A girl with nothing but group shots makes a guy think “she has something to hide.” It’s cool to have a few group shots that you enjoy, but if all of your pictures are group shots, expect to be swiped left. It is excruciatingly tedious to try and match faces in every picture. What am I, a detective?!
3) Don’t Be Afraid To Send The First Message.
Having been on Tinder for a few months, I can say that a girl has only messaged me first once. I’ve had plenty of matches (thank you very much, doubters) and only one brave soul took the initiative. I have been most smitten with that girl as well. That is a big load off of the guy’s shoulders and it shows that you are proactive and are genuinely interested, it’s a great first impression.
4) Don’t Take Forever To Respond.
You are messaging with a match for a good while, you have a good back and forth going and then – BOOM – out of nowhere she falls off the face of the earth. Ladies, I know things come up but it comes off as pretty odd and deflating when you just stop messaging a guy out of nowhere. It’s even stranger when you stop for a while and take over a week to reply. If you aren’t interested after messaging, let a guy know. Being ignored is one of my biggest pet peeves, I’m sure I’m not alone.
5) Don’t Be Surprised When A Guy Sends You Perverted Things.
Yes, it happens. On behalf of all guys, I’m sorry. I don’t condone these actions, nor do I partake in them, but it seems like 95% (estimate) of guys do. Essentially, Tinder is a hook up app (at least that is what it was presented as) and – well – there will be guys looking to hook up with you on there. Just unmatch those fellas and take it as “Well, that guy thought I was attractive enough to make himself look like an ass.” Never be afraid to unmatch a-holes.
6) Be Proactive.
If you are really digging a guy’s vibe, you shouldn’t wait around. Ask him out already! It shows that you really want to hang out and think he’s a cool dude, which always makes guys feel good. You know we like feeling good and being complimented too, right?
7) Show That You Care.
A lot of girls have a nonchalant approach to Tinder. They act as if they are better than the people using the app, they don’t really need to use it, and think that the people who do use it are losers. Okay, then don’t be on it! Some people on there actually want to meet people, and to those people I say, show it! Don’t act all weird and stuck up about using an online dating app, just be genuine and cool and you’ll likely find some genuine and cool people.
8) Put Something In Your Profile.
I know, a lot of people don’t even look at the profiles on Tinder. Some people do though! So put a little something in there, show that you are more than just a pretty face. It also helps guys when they send you a message, it gives them a little ice breaker to hopefully get the conversation started.
9) If You’re Not There For Hook Ups, Say So.
Tinder has been billed as a hook up app. Not everyone wants to use it that way. That is totally fine, but make your intentions clear either in your profile or at some point in the messaging. Some guys might call you a “b-word” but whatever, you didn’t want to meet with those guys anyway. Hopefully you’ll find whatever you want, but you must first make it clear what you want.
10) Don’t Hide Your Face.
Yea, yea, yea, it’s super artsy, but how are we supposed to know what you look like? Can you imagine what it would be like trying to find someone in a public place and you have no idea what they look like. Yea, you’re more than just a pretty face but uhh…throw a guy a bone please. If you are hiding something embarrassing on your face, well you won’t have the luxury of wearing a scuba mask when you two meet up, so show that face!
11) Have At Least One Picture Of Just Yourself.
I know I sort of touched on this earlier, but I reiterate, it is super important to have at least ONE picture of just you. It reduces confusion and confirms who you are. HAVE ONE PICTURE OF JUST YOURSELF! FOR PETE’S SAKE! (Pete is a guy on Tinder who gets really mad about this issue).
12) Don’t Catfish People.
C’mon, for real? People are still doing this? Okay, if you are still using pictures of yourself from 5 years ago and 100 pounds ago, don’t be a jerk. Imagine the disappointment your match will have when they meet you and you look NOTHING like your pictures. Again, it’s not all about looks, but be smart and don’t be dishonest.
13) Have Pictures Other Than Selfies.
Even if you are the Selfie Queen of Selfie Island, have a variety of pictures. Sure, one or two selfies is fine, but if all of your pictures are selfies it makes it seem like you never go anywhere and you have no friends or family to take a picture of you. If that’s true, I’m sorry, but I think you should get some friends before you hop on Tinder. If it’s not true, spice it up a little bit, show that you are a well rounded person and don’t just duckface in your room all day.
14) Have More Than One Picture.
We all have ONE good picture of ourselves. The real test is to see if you have 3-5. Show that you are the same person in all of your pictures. Having only one picture is suspicious and for a guy, a huge risk. Eliminate the risk by showing that you look the same in all situations and that you’re not just one sexy glamor shot.
15) (Optional) Bikini Picture.
Okay, this one comes with some risk, hence why it is optional. A bikini picture will most definitely gain you a bunch of right swipers, but it will probably also gain you a bunch more of the gross guys from tip #5. But if you are confident enough to show off your bikini body, go for it. It will drive a lot of guys wild and it shows that you have nothing to hide.
16) HAVE AT LEAST ONE PICTURE OF JUST YOURSELF!!!
JUST DO IT ALREADY! THINK ABOUT PEEEETTTEEEE. So yea, these are some tips to help you step up your Tinder game. Follow these steps and you’ll be swimming in so many matches that any friction might cause a huge fire! See what I did there? Matches…fire…Tinder? Oh whatever, share this post if you or someone you know uses Tinder and they complain about not having a lot of matches!
