Need help successfully dating on Tinder? We got you!
Learn how Tinder works, how to get lots of Tinder matches, which Tinder pickup lines and openers turn matches into dates, and lots more.
Here’s everything we’ll cover:
- 1. What is Tinder?
- 2. Does Tinder Work?
- 3. How Does Tinder Work?
- 4. How to Make a Tinder Profile That Gets Lots of Matches
- 5. Sending a First Message That Gets a Reply
- 6. Tips for Your Tinder Date
- 7. Is Upgrading to Tinder Gold Worth It?
- 8. Troubleshooting Common Tinder Problems
- 9. Tinder Alternatives
1. What Is Tinder?
Tinder is an app for meeting new people to date. You can download the app on your phone or use it on your computer through their website.
Often, one of the first questions people ask about Tinder is: is it for serious relationships or just hooking up?
The honest answer is that it’s used for both.
In particular, young men in their early 20s are more likely to use Tinder just wanting to hook up. Some will explicitly signal this intention by saying they’re looking for something “casual” or “no strings.”
However, the large majority of people on Tinder are open to a serious relationship with someone they hit it off with. The women of Tinder especially are more often looking for a relationship.
2. Does Tinder Work?
Definitely. Tons of single people — all over the world! — have used Tinder to meet others, date, have a relationship, or even marry. It’s definitely worth trying.
You probably already know dating apps like Tinder can work for young attractive people, but you should know that Tinder can also work for older guys, divorcees, people over 40, people over 50, and even people who think they might be ugly.
3. How Does Tinder Work?
It’s quick and easy to understand how Tinder works.
To start, you sign up for an account by linking your Facebook. Then you’re off to the races.
Tinder shows you profiles of singles in your local area (based on your gender, age, and location settings).
When you’re looking at a profile, you can swipe your finger left across the screen to say you’re not interested or swipe right to say you are interested. (Or you can alternatively choose the X and heart icons at the bottom of the screen, which act the same way.)
If two people both swipe right to say they’re interested in each other, they match! Once you match, you can send messages back and forth.
That’s the gist of it. Now for the smaller details:
If you have a great profile, it won’t take a long time to start getting matches. They could start popping up in just minutes.
There are limits on how many swipes and likes you can give in a day. The daily limits vary based on your gender, age, and location.
If you swipe left on someone, you won’t ever see them again, and they won’t know that you didn’t like them.
If you swipe right on someone, they won’t be notified unless they have Tinder Gold. The only way to be sure the person is active on Tinder and likes you back is to match.
Additionally, you can tap the blue star icon to Super Like someone you’re extra interested in. You can also unmatch with someone you change your mind about.
There’s no way to search for people on Tinder, so there’s no way to find out if someone you know is on Tinder unless they come up in your swiping deck.
4. How to Make a Tinder Profile That Gets Lots of Matches
There’s one thing you NEED to understand to date using Tinder. It’s that people on Tinder aren’t swiping left or right on you, they’re swiping left or right on the pictures and text you chose to include in your profile.
If you get nothing else out of this article, remember this. This is a VERY IMPORTANT distinction.
Because if at first you don’t get a lot of matches, you can simply change your profile and get way more.
Truth is, everyone is capable of making a profile that’s unattractive. And many are doing it without realizing — even people considered highly attractive in real life.
Now, let’s talk about how exactly to make a great Tinder profile.
For your Tinder bio, focus on keeping things light-hearted and short (1-3 sentences max). Absolutely resist the urge to rant, vent, or make cynical or sexual jokes.
You can say a few things about yourself or just rely on the information that Tinder already displays (like your job or university) and just use your bio to share a quote or joke. Try this article for some Tinder bio examples.
The other — and much more important — part of your Tinder profile is your pictures. That’s because most Tinder users will swipe left or right before they even read your bio. And even the best bio won’t make up for bad pics!
As for which pictures to use, choose ones that look good in Tinder’s size dimensions.
For your first picture, you want it to be a photo of just you, with a clear view of your face, and a smile. For the other pictures, variety is key: try one outside in nature, one dressed up, and another participating in a hobby, etc. They don’t have to be professionally-taken to tell an attractive story about who you are.
Finally, be sure to get feedback on your profile — especially your pictures. Tinder’s built-in Smart Photos isn’t very good, so don’t rely on it too heavily.
Most people are really bad at judging their own pictures and friends aren’t much better. Testing your Tinder pics on Photofeeler can help a ton.
5. Sending a First Message That Gets a Reply
Once you match with someone, you can send them a message. According to Tinder etiquette, both men and women can send an opening line and it doesn’t matter if you send it right away or wait.
The trick to starting a Tinder conversation is to end your first message with a question. The best Tinder pickup lines, openers, and icebreakers all do.
Try this article for some great example Tinder openers.
6. Tips for Your Tinder Date
Did your match reply to your first message? Awesome! Keep it going by asking more get-to-know-you questions.
After going back and forth at least 4-10 times, transition into a date by saying, “Hey, would you be down to grab a coffee sometime?”
Coffee dates are by far the best choice for Tinder dates. Getting a drink at a bar is a close second.
The reason these work is because it’s very difficult to tell what a person is like from just their Tinder profile, and there’s a chance that you won’t actually hit it off after all. So you don’t want to over-invest too much time or money into first dates.
Coffee dates are great because, in a worst-case scenario, you can say you have to be somewhere and cut out after only about 30 minutes or so. And in a best-case scenario, you can end up talking for hours.
7. Is Upgrading to Tinder Gold Worth It?
Tinder is free, but there are paid upgrades that offer premium features. Are they worth the money?
If you upgrade to Tinder Plus, you’ll be able to spoof your location with the Tinder Passport feature, send more Super Likes, and get a couple of Tinder Boosts which show your profile to more people.
With the Tinder Gold upgrade, you get all of the above, plus you can see who all has right-swiped on your profile before swiping them back. You also get Tinder Picks, so Tinder recommends people to you every day based on common interests.
Don’t like the upgrade? You can always try it for a time and then cancel it.
All in all, whether or not the upgrades are worth it is up to you. A lot of people get everything they need out of the free version of Tinder alone.
8. Troubleshooting Common Tinder Problems
Not getting any Tinder matches? Maybe you’re in a rural area, so there’s not enough people around to match with? If not, the likely answer is you need a better profile. (Hop back on up to #4 for how to fix that.)
Think your problem is more complicated? You might be interested to learn about the Tinder algorithm and how Tinder ELO scores work.
Additionally, you may be concerned about fake profiles, bots, and scams.
Here are some more links to help you solve common problems with Tinder:
Change Your Name on Tinder
Remove interests from Tinder
Tinder Match Disappeared?
Is Tinder Down? How to Check
Tinder Login Failed?
Tinder “There was a problem getting your code” Error
“Verifyandmeet” “Tinder verification code”? Behind the Tinder Scams
How and Why to Reset Tinder
9. Tinder Alternatives
Okay, so now you know everything there is to know about Tinder, but maybe you’re convinced it’s not for you. Chances are there’s a Tinder alternative out there that’s a better fit.
Our other favorite dating app is Bumble. Consider checking out this comparison: Tinder vs. Bumble.
You might also like OkCupid, Hinge, Clover, The League, Happn, Hater, Coffee Meets Bagel, Match, Zoosk, or eHarmony.
Want Way More High-Quality Tinder Matches?
The right photos can completely transform your Tinder experience overnight and take you from getting 0 Tinder matches to way more than you can handle. (This is not an exaggeration! We’ve seen it happen.)
Test your pics on Photofeeler to find out which photos you should and shouldn’t be using on Tinder.
