Tips to do well on dating apps

Facts to keep in mind about photos on dating apps

• The three most common profile photo mistakes—that is, the least successful photos on dating apps (such as Tinder)—are those taken from awkward angles (41.12%), photos with filters or edited (41.02%) and in which the subject appears smoking (40.62%).
• Seven out of 10 Internet users keep their photos up to date, while 31% have not done so in over a year.
• 15% of men have used a pet that was not theirs to get attention.
• Hiring a photographer to get higher quality photos increases the number of “matches” (49%), of “I like you” (48%), and people willing to be the first to send a message (43%).
• 73% of users want harsh image editing to be banned on dating apps.
• 89% of singles have gone on at least one date with someone they met online who had nothing to do with their posted photos.
• 91% of employed women and 89% of employed men admit to having used a dating app at work at least once, the daily average being 30-45 minutes.
• 93% of workers have used dating apps more often at work since they started teleworking.
• 81% of Americans have met co-workers on a dating app. Of those, 96% of men and women say they have taken a leap of faith and swiped right. However, most of them regret it over time.

Your profile photos are worth a million words. “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” they say. However, many times a photo is all the information you have when you meet people online.

85% of women and 80% of men agree that photos are the most critical aspect of a profile. So it’s easy to assume that singles keep them up to date, but do they? This is the last time users currently using at least one dating app updated their profile picture (text version below):

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• 1–6 months ago 26%
• 6–12 months ago 23%
• 12–24 months ago twenty%
• less than a month ago twenty%
• more than 24 months ago eleven%

As you can see, roughly seven in 10 online daters keep their photos up to date, while 31% haven’t changed their photos in over a year. Interestingly, when we asked respondents if they thought their profile photos accurately reflected their current appearance, 98% answered “Yes.”

Is it a gullible thought? Can be.

Next, we asked users if they had ever hired a photographer to get high-quality photos. It turned out that 94% of men and 89% of women have done it, and here’s how it benefited them:

• They received more “matches” 49%
• They got more “likes” 48%
• They got more people to message them first 43%
• Did not improve your user experience 23%

What’s the score? The photographs with a good quality get more “likes” and messages.

Pets in profile photos: is it a good idea?

We all love our pets, but do they help us when it comes to getting an appointment? To find out, we asked respondents what they think about their potential partners having a pet.

The result is that 63% of women and 62% of men find profiles that have a cat attractive.

Regarding dogs, 69% of women and 65% of men have a positive opinion about them.

This goes hand in hand with another recent study that found that although women prefer men with dogs, they still give men with cats an advantage over those without pets.

Therefore, if you have a dog or a cat, show them on your dating profile. Mind you, don’t borrow one like 15% of our male respondents have done.

The profile photos that you have to avoid

In this phase, we set out to identify the least successful types of profile photos. To do this, we gave respondents a list of types of photos, often considered big red flags, and asked them to pick the most disgusting. The results below:

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THE NASTEST TYPES OF PROFILE PHOTOS

• Photos taken from strange angles
• Edited or filtered photos
• Photos smoking (or vaping)
• Photos with exaggerated grimaces
• group photos
• Photos “fooling around”
• LinkedIn-type photos (too serious or formal)

The data shows that photos taken from odd angles are the least attractive, according to 45.67% of women and 39.32% of men. So if you’re looking for love on Tinder or any other dating app, make sure your angles are flattering.

In a very close second place are photos edited or with filters, with an average of 41.02%, followed by those in which the subject appears smoking (or vaping), with 40.62%.

It’s also worth noting that while women’s number one complaint is photos taken from awkward angles, photos of smokers are considered the least attractive by men.

And you? Have you committed any of the deadly sins that we have discussed? If so, write us in the comments!

The downside of editing your photos

We already know what kind of images to upload and which ones to avoid. But there is another aspect to take into account: the edition of these.

To see what users think, we asked them what they thought of a slight tweak to their profile photos (such as whitening teeth), and these were the results:

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So 62% of men and 68% of women don’t mind a little editing on dating app profile photos. It makes sense since, after all, we all want to look our best, especially when it comes to finding a partner.

Here’s a list of what dating app users often do to enhance their photos:

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• make lips more attractive 3. 4%
• whiten teeth 3. 4%
• Hide skin imperfections 33%
• make eyes more attractive 33%
• Accentuate cheekbones or jawline 28%

However, while some minor modifications are acceptable to most users, heavy retouching (for example, reshaping the face or body contouring) is prohibited.

When we asked respondents if they had ever swiped to the left because their photos were too manipulated, 90% said yes. Another 89% of those surveyed regret going on at least one date with someone they met through a dating app who looked nothing like their photos.

Here’s what users think about whether heavy photo editing should be banned entirely on dating apps:

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In short, the results show that, although the majority of users do not have problems with a light editing of the photos, they do have them with the strongest retouching.

So if you want to make a good first impression, keep it natural (or stick to small touches).

Giving “likes” to your coworkers… Is it a good idea?

91% of women and 89% of men admit to using a dating app at work. This is the time they usually spend daily browsing these networks while they work (in minutes):

• 30–45 26%
• 15–30 23%
• 45–60 18%
• 10–15 fifteen%
• 1–10 13%
• 60 or more 4%

Therefore, the daily average time that users of applications such as Bumble or Badoo dedicate to them at work is between 30 and 45 minutes.

It’s too much?

Maybe.

But keep in mind that 90% of women and 94% of men believe that they use dating apps more in their workday since they started working remotely.

Therefore, COVID-19 may have played a role here as well.

But what if you find a coworker on a dating app? Should you swipe right, showing that you’re interested? Or instead, play it safe and swipe left to avoid any discomfort?

This is precisely the dilemma faced by 81% of our respondents. Of those, 96% of men and women say they have taken a leap of faith and swiped right with their peers. The results indicate that 97% of men and 93% of women regret it for one reason or another.

Ultimately, swiping on a coworker is probably not the best idea, as it could lead to some discomfort or even jeopardize your job if things don’t work out.

conclusions

There you have the answer about dating profile photos, their importance, the types of photos that Americans find most and least attractive and much more.