Best tinder tips

#1 Use great photos

We get it, easier said than done. Luckily our site is full of suggestions about how to take a good photo for your profile. Here's a rundown of the most important points:

• Focus on a good headshot first. This is your most important photo and having a good headshot makes a big difference to your online dating success.
• Make sure the photo is in focus and well framed.
• Stand comfortably — no awkward poses!
• Avoid group shots unless you've got plenty of good solo pics first, and the group shot is really amazing.
• Use one of your photo slots to show off your personality, such as engaging in one of your favorite hobbies.

#2 Make a good first impression

Don't put too much pressure on your match. Some people use their dating app profile to spell out a list of demands for their potential partner and it ends up looking like a job description — and a bad one, at that. Instead, keep things light and friendly. Don't list qualifications and don't express anything negative, like your frustration with online dating. That sets the wrong tone right from the beginning. And no one will want to meet up in real life with someone who is demanding or critical.

#3 Send the right first message

Getting a match is only half the battle. Her inbox is full of messages from matches who are trying to get her attention, so you need to stand out. And that means no one word messages, or just saying "hey." Online conversations are an art form, and you need to get comfortable using Tinder openers and conversation starters to get the connection off on the right foot, and then keep the flow going. Check out our advice about questions to ask when you're chatting on a dating app.

#4 Create a clever profile

After your pictures, your Tinder profile is the first thing other Tinder users are going to see, so you need to make it count. Most guys get lazy on the Tinder app and leave their profile space blank, but that's a wasted opportunity. If you want more matches, make sure you're putting together a strong Tinder bio that tells her why she'd want to go on a date with you!

• Use a clever format that makes your profile easy to scan.
• Focus on what you have to offer, rather than what you're looking for.
• Make it obvious what a date with you would be like.
• This is marketing — sell yourself to your potential matches.

#5 Start swiping smarter

Don't swipe right on just anyone, hoping something will stick. You'll confuse the Tinder algorithm and they'll start showing you lower quality potential dates. Not only that, you'll hit your swipe limit faster and need to upgrade to a paid plan to keep using the app.

Instead, don't be afraid of swiping left! If you're not interested in someone based on their profile, there's no point trying to match with them. On top of everything else, they'll just clog up your match feed and maybe you'll loose track of the women you did want to send messages to.

#6 Don't wait too long to suggest a date

No one wants conversations to drag on forever, especially on a dating app. You only want to chat long enough to make sure there's mutual interest and that both people feel safe with the idea of meeting in person.

Every moment beyond that you wait is another chance for your match to get distracted or to meet someone else who gets to the point faster. So as soon as it feels like there's been enough of an exchange, suggest something casual. A daytime coffee in a public place is easy to say yes to — much less intimidating that meeting at night, let alone at someone's house.

#7 Mind your reputation

You might be surprised how many of your dates and potential dates happen to know each other — and people exchange notes! Girls swiping together regularly show the screen to their friends, and if they have stories to tell about you, it's all over.

Of course, it's a good idea to treat people well simply because it's the right thing to do. But if that's not enough motivation for you, remember that cultivating a bad reputation is a surefire way to stop getting dates.

That means no asking for dirty pictures and then ghosting, and certainly no one-night-stands followed by ghosting! Even in big cities people talk, and your reputation can get around faster than you might think. Even worse, thanks to apps like TikTok, if you really mess up, the whole world might hear about it.