Do not choose the following as your Tinder profile pic

MANILA, Philippines – Are you on Tinder? If you have this popular dating app on your phone, you’d know that finding a match means sifting through one unimpressive or unattractive photo after another. For every profile that makes your heart skip a beat, there are a few dozen that make your heart deflate like a leaky balloon. 

And because Tinder’s process is lightning fast, with users swiping unwanted profiles away with ease, it’s very easy for your profile to be ignored the second someone sees something wrong with your picture. And while it’s true that one person’s Tinder trash can be another’s Tinder treasure, there are some photos that are more likely to be avoided than others.

Here are some of them:

1. Photos that hide your face

No, hiding your face doesn’t make you look dark, mysterious, and intriguing. It just looks like you’re ashamed of your appearance, like you’re aware that nobody would choose you precisely because of your face. Nobody has ever thought: “Hmmm, I have no idea what he/she looks like, and this person doesn’t want me to know. I’m in love!” 

Just show your face, period. It doesn’t matter if you’re no Natalie Portman. People fall for all kinds of types, and some people would even forgive your lack of excellent bone structure if you describe yourself well or have lots of similar interests. The point is that hiding your appearance breeds distrust, and that’s not good for either hookups or relationships.  

 

2. Group photos

It doesn’t matter if your succeeding pictures are solo shots; if the very first pic of you that comes up on Tinder features you with 5 other people, it’s not going to help your chances. For one, it’s annoying, as if you’re trying to make people guess which one you are in the throng. For another, what if the user finds your pals more attractive, and gets dejected when they find out your were that other guy in the corner? 

Think about it this way: If you were assigned to sell one particular apple, would you try it sell it on a table filled with other apples? Tinder is essentially a competition, and as much as you love your best buds, their presence in your profile pics will prove a dangerous distraction.

 

3. Photos of you in bed (especially topless ones or ones in underwear)

 

Yes, we get it, you have abs. And while we don’t deny that having a good body is definitely a plus in the world of Tinder, laying it all out for the world to see doesn’t necessarily make you attractive. In fact, it may even make you look overtly vain and arrogant. And posing topless in bed, in particular, tends to look more pervy than seductive. Even if you’re looking for a hookup, do you really want to be that sleazy from the get-go?

If you want to show off your body without putting people off, choose pictures of you doing sports, or hanging out happily at the beach. Display situations where being topless or scantily-clad hold a more tasteful context, as opposed to, say, a shower stall or some random shadowy corner. You want to look sexy, not look like a sex offender. 

 

4. Photos with another girl/boy

Granted that there are some people on Tinder who are in perfectly happy, exclusive relationships, and simply want to see what the app is about. That is forgivable, if a bit misleading. However, there are still some single people out there who insist on putting up profile pics featuring other people of their preferred sex. To reiterate, Tinder is essentially a competition, so posing with a possible competitor can instantly dissuade people from choosing you. 

It doesn’t matter if the girl or boy you’re with is your sibling or best friend. Nobody’s going to know that from the outset. Just minimize the possibility of people mistaking you as taken. At the very end of the day, Tinder is for singles looking to match up with other singles, and two people in your profile pic is just one person too many. 

 

5. Photos of you as a kid

These kinds of photos border on emotional blackmail. Yes, you probably looked absolutely adorable as a kid, and if you were in a relationship with someone, they would likely love to see the miniature version of you. But this is Tinder, and you are not in an ongoing relationship with strangers, and if you want people to want to get to know you, it’s by showing who you are now, not who you were then.

Furthermore, seeing pictures of children on a dating app can border on creepy. Are you trying to attract people sexually and/or romantically by the way you looked as a child? Because if so, that may be a big problem. Plus, what if your grown-up face is nowhere near as cute as your childhood face? Then you’re just setting people up for disappointment. 

 

6. Photos of you trying to do ‘Blue Steel’ 

 

Unless you actually are a professional model, trying to make a model-esque facial expression will probably go against you. Very much like the argument against posing naked, trying hard to look attractive can make you very unattractive. Believe it or not, but it’s quite easy for people to tell when you’re trying too hard. 

The solution? Just be yourself. Besides, whether you just want a casual hookup or a long-lasting relationship, you want people to like you for what you actually look like candidly. It’s just not realistic: Can you imagine making model-esque poses the whole time you’re on a date – or in bed? It’s just too much trouble for nothing.

 

7. Photos of objects/cartoon characters/anything or anyone who is not you

This is very similar to the hiding-your-face argument. While it’s true that showing certain objects or ficitional characters can reveal what you’re like quite instantaneously, the fact remains that people on Tinder are looking for, well, other people. It’s hard enough to read a stranger’s actual face, what more if you don’t show your face in the first place? 

And, once again, what if you choose a character who has a huge, libido-driven fanbase like, say, Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes? Are you trying to sell Sherlock or you? When people see what you actually look like after getting all titillated by the Cumberbatch, are you sure they won’t be underwhelmed?

In the world of Tinder, honestly is definitely the best policy. 

Do you have other tips for choosing your Tinder profile pics? Share them with us in the comments section below! – Rappler.com

Illustrations by Nico Villarete