How to get more matches on Tinder

Tinder Header

Let’s face it. Life is busy these days, to the point that most of us don’t even have time to focus on meeting a significant other. The struggle is real. And while there still might be a negative stigma surrounding online dating platforms, Tinder has quickly emerged as one of the most popular platforms for meeting someone outside of a bar or club. The startup app has received numerous awards since launching over 18 months ago, helping to connect everyone from busy university undergraduate students to single adults for dates and casual encounters.

Tinder is essentially an anonymous “hot or not” app for iPhone and Android smartphones. If you find someone physically attractive, swipe right. If you don’t, swipe left. It is made to be incredibly simple — and shallow — in nature, yet you probably wouldn’t be reading this article if Tinder was as easy as it sounds. If you are not on the top of your game, don’t expect to be getting too many right swipes on Tinder. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes and a little bit of effort to improve your results. Read ahead for tips and tricks on how to get more matches on Tinder… 

Use a good picture

Tinder PhoneWhile I’m sure being a good looking person can make Tinder a lot easier, you don’t have to be attractive for the opposite sex to be interested in you. What you need is a picture that shows the best version of you possible. If you’re a male, that doesn’t mean taking a mirror selfie while you’re flexing at the gym, and if you’re a female, that doesn’t mean taking an overly revealing picture from a strangely high angle. Be honest with yourself and follow these five tips:

  • Don’t use group photos: Your picture should be of you, not a group of you and your five best friends. Tinder is essentially speed dating on smartphones, and most users are only going to look at your picture for 2 seconds or less. If I can’t figure out who you are in that time, I’m going to swipe left on your picture. Plus, three of your friends might be better looking than you.
  • Smile: Even the smallest smile can give the impression that you are a happy person, and I’m sure that’s what most people are looking for on Tinder. I mean, aren’t relationships or casual encounters all about surrounding yourself with people that make you happier? If you have a boring facial expression in your picture, I expect that is how you will be on a date and swipe left.
  • The bad selfie: You know that lousy 2-megapixel front-facing camera on your iPhone? It sucks. While sending grainy selfies over Snapchat is perfectly acceptable, try to use a better camera when taking a picture of yourself for Tinder. It also helps to take a picture in natural lighting, instead of using flash, and I’ve heard that you naturally look your best around midday. So taking a selfie right when you wake up or in the evening probably isn’t best.
  • The bathroom selfie: Worse than the bad selfie. I don’t want to see your toilet.
  • Use more than one picture: Even if you think you have taken a good picture of yourself, it doesn’t hurt to add extras for other Tinder users to see. Add a full body picture to accompany the selfie of your face. Uploading two or three extra pictures gives others a better idea of how you look, and could increase the chances that they swipe right on you. Or, at least they won’t get too good of an impression off one picture and then find you less attractive in person.

Write a biography

Joe Tinder Bio

Tinder gives you a little biography section below your photos for a reason, so use it. A lot of Tinder users will swipe past your profile without reading it, but a good bio could be the deciding factor on getting a right swipe for those that do. Write a few details about yourself, perhaps mentioning some of your hobbies and interests. I want someone that is going to be compatible with me and has things in common, and your bio is the best way to share that. Just don’t write too much, or you won’t have anything left to talk about in your Tinder chats or first date.

Expand your target

Tinder Settings

Tinder has a number of settings that can be configured for displaying profiles. If you feel that you aren’t getting many matches, consider increasing your search distance range between 2 and 100 miles. You can also define what age bracket you are interested in, between 18 years of age and 50 plus. But be realistic in changing these options: you might consider the person too young or old for you, and they could live too far away for a relationship or encounter to be possible.

Be patient

The biggest thing I learned after a week or two of using Tinder is to be patient. This advice probably holds true more for males than females, but it is going to take some time before you get matches — regardless of how good your profile is. I noticed that a large number of Tinder users I was swiping right on had not been active in at least a few days, so it is impossible for a match to be made until the other person returns to the app. Give it at least a week, and you should get some matches. Good luck.

Are you a Tinder expert? If so, share your tips on how to get more matches in the comments section below.