Your Tinder pictures are — in all likelihood — the only thing standing between you and more matches than you know what to do with.
Look, it may seem like only male models get right-swiped, but even the Chaddiest Chads get overlooked when their Tinder pictures are lame (or even mediocre).
Even as an average-looking guy, you can set yourself apart from the pack by optimizing your Tinder pictures. Here’s our best tips.
1. The I’m-a-high-value-dude Tinder pic
Not only do selfies distort your features, but they also do a terrible job of showing a high-value personality in Tinder photos.
Women tend to base their attraction to guys on WAY more than physical features. An average man can look unattractive or very attractive based on the story his photo tells and the personality traits it displays. And selfies are totally void of anything a woman would find attractive about a guy.
To get non-selfie Tinder pictures, grab a friend to take some pics around your town doing activities you’re into. You can even take great, non-selfie Tinder pics at home alone if you’re careful about it.
2. The I-can-take-care-of-something pet pic
I know it sounds cliche and all, but it’s just a scientific fact that most women really, really, really, really like dogs.
Not only are dogs adorable and cuddly, but seeing you with a dog in your Tinder pic makes women think you are probably a stand-up, responsible man who can take care of something beyond himself. That’s sexy, my friend.
3. The I’m-not-a-psycho smiling picture
We know you’ve been told not to smile in photos. (See: OkCupid is Wrong About Men’s Dating Photos, and We Replicated Their Study to Prove It).
But this questionable advice actually has resulted in some unprecedentedly unattractive Tinder pictures.
Unless you’re a trained model, you’re actually more likely to look angry, bored, annoyed, threatening, crazy, or just seem a bit constipated than look sexy when you don’t smile in your Tinder photos. So provided you’re not David Beckham, you’ll look more attractive in your Tinder pics if you flash those pearly whites.
4. The let’s-not-make-this-a-guessing-game picture
No one wants to play Where’s Waldo with your Tinder pictures.
Fact is, if your first pic is of more than one dude, she’s going to either swipe left automatically or assume you’re the worst-looking of the bunch (and swipe left).
Showing variety and personality in your spread of 9 Tinder photos is definitely a good idea. But it has to be immediately clear and obvious which person you are.
Additionally, too many group pics can also make it seem like you don’t have much identity as an individual.
5. The estrogen-free-zone pic
Maybe she’s your sister. Perhaps she’s your platonic bff. Maybe she’s a nun.
There are a million respectable reasons you could have lovely ladies draped over your arms in your Tinder pictures, but women tend to see these as red flags and assume you’re a cheater.
Women also sometimes interpret these pics as try-hard, desperately broadcasting, “I know women! Hot women! Hot women are into me, so you should be into me!”
6. The shirt-on-because-I-understand-women photo
The issue of shirtless pics is understandably confusing for dudes. Because most guys would love to see women with fewer clothes on, we assume women want to see the same in our pics.
Wake-up call: they don’t.
Look, it’s not that women aren’t digging your gains. Chances are likely that she would ultimately want to see you in your glorious birthday suit.
But because women get creeped on so much online, their first priority is safety. Forcing women to see you in a state of undress before you even meet can read as a warning sign.
Using a topless pic for one of your Tinder pictures could also give a vibe that you’re a bit cocky and jocky, even if you’re not, so it’s altogether a risky move that can cost you dearly in matches.
7. The everyone’s-sexier-in-natural-light photo
Diffused, natural light makes you hotter. This is a fact, even though 99% of guys are completely ignorant of it.
Indirect sunlight erases lines, wrinkles, and *maybe* even that pesky unibrow. Seriously, no matter how attractive you felt in a pic of you at the bar, I guarantee you look 800% sexier outside.
Outdoor pics have the added benefit of implying you’re sporty and healthy, or — at the very least — that you leave your house sometimes.
8. Var-i-e-ty
Nine Tinder pics give you ample opportunity to share more about yourself than the color of your bathroom walls.
Use your Tinder photos to tell a story about you, your interests, the places you go to, and whatever makes you a catch (be it bicep, brain, or both).
9. Don’t guess, test
Ultimately, it’s impossibly hard to be objective about our own photos. Your favorite pic can be off-putting to women for reasons you never would think of.
The easiest way to test your pictures for Tinder is to put them on Photofeeler.
Photofeeler tells you how your Tinder photos are coming across to women (or men). Choosing profile pics this way has been known to increase matches on Tinder by 200-400%.
