How do you send pictures on Tinder? 2023

The short answer is no. In the Tinder app you can't send pics the same way you're used to when you're texting.

There are a lot of reasons for this, many to do with privacy and safety. We've all heard the nightmare stories of pictures landing on someone's phone that they can never unsee.

So it's understandable that Tinder wants to shield its users from that kind of behavior and help people feel safe when they take a match over to the chat window.

But just because you can't drop photos directly into your tinder messages doesn't mean you're entirely out of luck. There are still 3 ways to send a picture within the dating app and we'll walk you through all of them.

1. Use an image hosting service

This is more work than just opening your phone's photo album, but sending photo links is an easy way to get around the inability to send pictures directly.

To do this, you'll need to upload pictures you're likely to want to use while online dating over to google drive, or another hosting service that allows you to share pictures. You'll want to add pictures that are the most likely to be useful, such as additional photos of yourself, photos of your pets, and photos that show your interests.

From there you can generate links to the pictures you want to send, and then share links in your Tinder message.

Be sure you don't just send a link out of the blue with no explanation. You need to check out the vibes.We all know to much about viruses to fall for that. Not to mention, she isn't likely to open a link if she doesn't know what she'll end up seeing.

So make it clear in your message what picture the link is going to show her. Try something like, "My Tinder profile pics can't contain all the cute pictures of my dog, here's one of him demolishing a new toy I got him."

That way it's clear what the photo is going to show, and she's got a reason to click the link and take a look.

2. Move her out of Tinder to another platform

Maybe you're ready to exchange phone numbers — if so, that will solve the photo problem. But there are lots of reasons either one of you might not want to give up that kind of personal information right away.

Luckily, there are plenty of third party apps you can switch to that will allow you to share photos.

One easy answer is Instagram. Many people already have their Instagram account connected to the Tinder dating app, so it's not a huge leap to head over there. You can do this by either directing her to a specific photo you've posted that you want to share, or even moving over to private messages within the Instagram app.

If you'd like an app that allows for the ease of texting but with some added security, check out WhatsApp. It's encrypted so you can feel confidant about your privacy while having all the features of a texting app — including the ability to send pictures.

Another app you might want to consider switching the conversation to is SnapChat.

This app was built to solve this exact problem — how to send pictures to someone and still look out for your safety. ON SnapChat, the pictures disappear after a limited time and the other user is notified if a screenshot is taken.

3. Send a gif instead

The gif option can actually be a great first message when chatting with Tinder matches. (Just be sure to follow it up with some text!)

Anyone on dating apps these days is used to the visual language of gifs and breaking up your conversation with some well-placed memes is a fun way to keep things light and playful.

Are you sold on the idea of sending gifs?  Good! Here's how to do it.

When you're in the chat window, you'll find the gif option located right next to the text box. Simply tap on it and scroll through your options until you find exactly what you're looking for. Then just press send and wait to see what you get in return!

While not quite as easy as having access to your phone camera roll, the above ideas should make it clear that's not the only way to enjoy sending pictures on Tinder.

Tinder messages that include links to photos or gifs are a great way to keep your conversations interesting, and hopefully to have more of your Tinder matches become dates.

Need more tips about how to send messages on Tinder? Check out our guide on How to Text Women.