So, you’ve signed up for Tinder and created an account, you’ve uploaded some photos, written a bio, Swiped Right on a few people… but you’re not getting many matches in return.
With over 75 million users on the app and 1.6 billion Swipes every day, you may be wondering what’s going on?
Well, don’t give up just yet!
In this article we’re going to cover:
- The reasons why you may not be getting matches on Tinder
- Our top 12 tips and advice for how to get more matches
- Frequently asked questions.
Ready to step up your Tinder game? Let’s get into it!
Why Am I Not Getting Matches on Tinder?
The first thing to understand about Tinder is how exactly it works.
Back in 2016, a journalist with Fast Company researching how the Tinder algorithm worked was given an inside look into the company. Essentially, every user was assigned an “Elo score” (Chess players will be familiar with the term) which helps match users.
Tinder claimed that it didn’t just measure how attractive you were but how “desirable” you were to others. And this wasn’t just a matter of how many Swipes you had, either, but a variety of factors.
Since then, Tinder posted a blog post (originally in 2019, but updated in 2022) all about how the algorithm really works (spoiler: the Elo score is out).
From this they claimed that the following were important in determining your potential matches:
- How active you were on the app
- How close you are to other users (ie, location parameters)
- What you tell Tinder your interests and hobbies are
- Who you’ve Swiped Right or Left on previously
- Pictures you’ve previously Liked.
That last one is pretty key, because it means that the algorithm pays attention to people you’ve been interested in before, and then shows you more people whose photos match those.
For those interested, these factors are also how Hinge works. This isn’t super surprising, since Hinge was acquired by Match, the company who owns dating apps such as Tinder, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Pairs, Plenty of Fish, and more.
So, back to our primary question: why aren’t you getting matches on your Tinder profile?
Chances are it’s all to do with the information you’re presenting people with on your profile, whether that’s the images you’re using, the information you’ve given everyone through your profile, and an idea of your personality that you may (or may not) be showing someone.
And, let’s be honest, Tinder is all about whether or not you look appealing or “desirable” to start, before we even start talking about anything in the actual online profiles!
But don’t be discouraged!
We’ve got the lowdown on what’s going to get you more matches and opportunities to send a message, start a conversation and get chatting to a potential match. And, maybe even find love!
Our Top 12 Tips for More Matches
1. Fully Optimize Your Tinder Profile
Filling out your profile is one thing, but have you actually optimized it?
Making sure you optimize your profile could account for a lot of Swipes on your profile, or be the difference between a Yes or a Nope, so it’s important to pay close attention.
Here’s our recommended steps to follow!
Write a Catchy Bio
Remember: short, sweet, and funny (if you can) is the best way to write your Tinder bio!
This is an icebreaker more than anything, not an opportunity to write an essay, so keep it snappy!
PS: Check out this list of 32 red flags in someone’s bio for what not to do!
Include Authentic Things About Yourself
Most people on apps are looking for a genuine connection which could then lead to relationships, so be authentic and honest!
While we’re not suggesting that you should put all of your personal information out there publicly (really, don’t do this!), don’t lie or twist the truth. When the truth eventually comes out (and it always does), it’ll just make you seem dishonest and shady.
Avoid Using Too Many Emojis
Listen guys: while girls may like an emoji or two, going overboard with them is a crutch. “Does he even know how to string a sentence together?” they may wonder.
Keep the emojis to a minimum, and please: no eggplant emojis!
Lean Into Quirky Details About Your Life
Nothing will stop someone in their tracks like a juicy bit of info that’s different from what else is out there in the world of singles trying to date.
For example, maybe you play an instrument. But maybe it’s the xylophone, and you can play the Super Mario theme tune from scratch.
Sure, it’s a little dorky, but it’s exactly the kind of icebreaker that’s going to get someone interested enough in you to Swipe Right.
Don’t be afraid to fly your freak flag! Just keep it PG and don’t make it creepy.
2. Use Only Recent High-Quality Images
While it may be tempting to use that photo from five years ago where you look like James Bond, don’t! If you’ve changed significantly then it’s a little misleading, and when you do match with someone, they’re not going to be very happy about it.
Equally, skip the blurry, low-res images, and make sure that all of the photos you upload are high-quality only.
Good photos are vital. In fact, it only takes 1/10 of a second for someone to make a judgment about you, based on how you look.
Knowing that, wouldn’t you want to give yourself the best opportunity to make a good first impression? Do your part, and make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward.
Don’t Include Selfies on Your Profile
And, on that note — ditch the selfies!
Selfies not only make you look vain, researchers have also found that someone who posts selfies of themselves frequently tend to be more narcissistic and have psychopathic tendencies!
Yikes!
So, do yourself a favor: don’t post selfies, and definitely don’t over-edit them or post shirtless gym pics!
3.Use Tinder’s Premium Features
Did you know that there are three levels of Tinder membership above basic Tinder?
These are Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum, and depending on which one you go for, you get access to premium features that could help you get more Swipe Rights.
Tinder Plus includes:
- No ads
- One free monthly Boost, which pushes you to the top of available profiles for 30 minutes
- Five daily Super Likes, which lets the other person know that you’ve Super Liked their profile
- Access to Rewind, which will “undo” your previous Swipe
- Access to Tinder Passport, which allows you to change your location to anywhere in the world
- No limit on Swipe Rights.
Tinder Gold includes all of the above, plus:
- Access to Likes You, which allows you to see who’s Swiped Right on you
- Access to Top Picks, which will show you a curated list of profiles for 24 hours, every day.
Finally, Tinder Platinum includes everything in Plus and Gold, with the addition of:
- Priority Likes which will put your profile in the top of the queue for any potential matches
- Message Before Match, which allows you to send a 140-character message when you Super Like someone (not compulsory).
With all of these extra features you can really boost your Tinder activity — just be prepared to pay for them!
You can pay on a monthly, six monthly, or annual basis. Obviously, the longer you opt in for the more you can save, but you’d hope you wouldn’t need to be on Tinder for a year…!
4. Tweak Your Tinder Discovery Settings
Tinder’s settings are automatically set to a certain radius of your location, and a certain age range.
If you’ve already Swiped through all of the available profiles in your immediate vicinity and haven’t been getting any matches, make sure that you’ve checked and tweaked your Discovery Settings.
This allows you to set your language, maximum distance, and age range. You can also toggle the Global setting, which will allow you to meet people all around the world.
5. Highlight Your Best Features
Maybe you’ve got a killer smile or nice eyes — whatever it is, make sure that your photos best reflect them!
While the best way to do that is by working with a professional photographer, at least make sure that you’re using a proper camera (preferably a DSLR) to take your photos, and practice your expressions by looking into a mirror.
One of the most important things we do at The Match Artist is work with our clients on facial expression coaching. That’s because we know all too well how folks freeze up in front of the camera and can look unnatural.
Try a little movement, perhaps a head tilt, or looking off to the side instead of directly at the camera. Experiment and see what looks good, then get it on camera!
6. Ask Your Friends to Be Honest & Critique Your Tinder Profile
While it may be a little scary to put yourself out there like that, real friends will be happy to look over your Tinder profile and help you improve it. After all, they want to see you happy and coupled up, too!
Ask a couple of trusted pals to be really brutally honest, and — if you can — get a female perspective on it. They’ll be able to tell you how you’re coming off, and whether that matches with your intention.
Just don’t ask too many people! Too many opinions could get confusing, especially if everyone starts weighing in on what they think you should do.
7. Pay to Boost Your Profile to a Wider Audience
As we’ve already mentioned, Boosts are a paid-for function that will make your profile more visible for 30 minutes.
If you’ve been having difficulty even getting seen, then this could be a great way to push your profile to the top of the stack and potentially get you a few more Swipe Rights.
8. Be Strategic With How You Use Your Tinder Likes
Unless you’ve paid for one of Tinder’s premium subscriptions, you’re limited to only 100 Swipes a day, after which you’ll have to wait 12 hours before you can Swipe again.
Men have a tendency to Swipe Right more indiscriminately, then only engage with people they’re really interested in. However, because of the way the Tinder algorithm works (if you were paying attention earlier!) this actually works against you.
The more people you Swipe Right on without actually paying attention to whether or not you’re interested in them, the less likely you are to be shown profiles of people you may actually have a connection with.
The takeaway? Swipe Right less often and only on people whose values and interests you’re actually interested in.
9. Avoid Using Too Many Group Shots
A group shot? Sure. Several group shots? Avoid!
While it’s good to show that you have a social life and a group of friends, if you post too many group shots, you run the risk of:
- Inadvertently comparing yourself to your friends, and
- Making your potential match have to work to figure out who you are.
It’s better to focus on you rather than your friends, and you should definitely make sure that your first photo is a great solo image of you!
10. Hire a Pro Photographer
Really, the best way to make sure that you’ve got the best quality photos possible is by hiring a professional photographer.
At the Match Artist, we’ve worked with over 800 clients to help them take amazing photos for their Tinder profiles and it works!
We know what photos work well on Tinder (because we have the evidence to back it up), and we also know how to work with you to really highlight your best features.
Consult Our Expert Team
Here’s how it works when you book with The Match Artist:
- You fill out your details on our website, book a call with our team to discuss your needs, and once you’ve signed up, you then get access to your client portal
- Within the portal, you fill out a detailed questionnaire — this helps us to get to know you better, and also make sure that we can plan your shoot to the best of our ability
- You book a call with your photographer to discuss the shoot
- We take you through our facial expression coaching and set you homework — practice in front of the mirror!
- On shoot day, we spend around 4–5 hours photographing you in a variety of locations (indoors and out), bringing together everything we’ve talked about with you
- We edit the photos and in 7–10 days you receive them!
We pride ourselves on what we do, and we want to work with you to help you get results. After all — it’s what we do best!
11. Avoid Using Obvious Clichés
There’s only so many photos of someone propping up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or holding the Eiffel Tower by the tip, or displaying a dead fish that women can handle (hint: it’s not very many!).
If you want more Swipe Rights on your profile, don’t be a walking cliché! Instead, think outside the box, get creative, and — most importantly — be yourself!
Being authentic and genuine is going to get you way more Swipe Rights than being “Just Another Guy on Tinder”.
12. Show Off Your Smile
Did you know that photos which show you smiling directly at the camera can get you 100 times more Swipe Rights than group images, selfies, or gym pics?
That’s because smiles are attractive, and not just that but they make you look like you’re enjoying yourself, having a good time, and living your life.
So, if you’ve got a winning smile — show it off! Just make sure that you ditch the sunglasses and hat!
And, if smiling isn’t your thing, that’s okay — research has shown that a moody, pensive, into-the-distance photo can be just as effective!
13. Avoid Having too many Spelling Mistakes on Your Profile Bio.
14. Avoid Displaying Too Much “Risky Behavior” on Your Profile
15. Don’t Include Pictures of Your Children on Tinder
Key Takeaways
If you’re stuck in a bit of a rut and haven’t been getting as many matches on your Tinder profile, it may be time to switch things up!
To recap, make sure that you:
- Optimize your profile by making sure your bio is short, snappy, and interesting, and you’ve checked your Discovery Settings
- Ditch the ancient photos and make sure your images are recent and high-quality (remember: no selfies!)
- Cough up for the premium features if you need to
- Get a bit of input from a few trusted friends
- Don’t Swipe Right indiscriminately
- Avoid the group photos and cliché images
- Show that winning smile and highlight your best features!
And, of course, when you’re ready to really level up your Tinder profile, get in touch with The Match Artist!
We’ll work with you every step of the way to help your Tinder profile shine, and before you know it, you’ll have matches galore.
How to Get More Matches on Tinder FAQs
Why am I not getting matches on Tinder?
If you aren’t getting any matches on Tinder then you may need to update your profile and optimize it! Make sure that you’ve got a good, snappy bio, and a few high-quality photos that show you in your best light.
Connecting your Instagram and Spotify will also allow other users to learn more about you and your personality. Additionally, the Smart Photos feature can automatically rearrange your photos for you, so that your most winning photo is always first!
Is it hard to get matches on Tinder?
It can be harder for guys to match on Tinder. That’s because the app has exponentially more men on it than women, meaning that it’s more of a woman’s game.
In addition, the trend for men to Swipe Right on every single profile means that women are inundated with attention, which then leads to them being overly choosy and Swiping Right less on men. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle.
Our best recommendation? Make sure your profile stands out by having the best photos and bio you possibly can, and Swipe Right less and only on people you’re really interested in.
How many matches should a guy get on Tinder?
On average, guys match at a rate of about 1 in 10 on Tinder. That means that if you max out your Swipe Rights and hit 100, you’ll receive about 10 in return.
Typically, our clients get between 20–40 matches every day, and that’s all because of the work we’ve done with them.
Proof that the single most important factor on your Tinder profile is high-quality photos of you!