Starting to think you’re the only one who ever swipes right on dating apps? These 9 dating app tips for guys will make your profile swipe right material, whether you’re on Tinder, Bumble, Hinge or any other dating app. Table of ContentsMistake #1: Lack Of EffortMistake #2: Not Being Image ConsciousMistake #3: Getting It All Out Of ProportionMistake #4: Being Just Another Face In The CrowdMistake #5: Projecting Insecurity If you’re consistently not matching with women you’d love the chance to meet, it’s time to give your photos and your bio an overhaul. First, let’s talk about your primary photo. Choosing the right one is essential if you want to boost your match rate and meet high-quality women! Here are 5 common profile pic mistakes guys make on dating apps, and what you need to do instead. WARNING ⚠️: This photo hack is making women swipe right 3.7x more often. Our experts analyzed 11,237 profile photos to see what's really catching her attention in 2025. (See the surprising results now.) {banner2:the-subtle-shift-technique} Mistake #1: Lack Of EffortThis is a near instant mood killer. When your photos are blurry, dimly or harshly lit, or just generally poor quality all the way around, it’s a lot like showing up to a first date after you’ve hit the gym, without showering or changing first. From her perspective, you’ve put zero thought and no effort into presenting yourself in an attractive way. She can (and will) infer that you don’t care how she perceives you or what impression you’re making - so why wouldn’t she swipe left? You’re clearly not invested in the process, so she’s not likely to invest her time matching with you, much less responding to your icebreaker. Dating App Tip #1: Hold Yourself To High Standards If the image quality isn’t up to par, don’t use the photo. Cell phone cameras take great pictures these days, so grab a friend and head outdoors if you don’t have any good quality images handy. Natural light is your friend when it comes to photographs - it’s so much more flattering than indoor lighting. Try a range of expressions, or even “burst mode” to catch a range of micro-expressions. You never know what will end up looking good on film, so experiment a little. Mistake #2: Not Being Image ConsciousBeing swipe right material goes beyond just quality control. When you’re looking for someone with relationship potential, you need to look like someone with relationship potential. Dating App Tip #2: Keep Your Target Market In Mind Choose your primary photo based on what you think the type of women you want to date would want to see. (Hint: If your Hinge primary pic would make your bros laugh and high five you, choose another one.) This is your first impression we’re talking about, so your clothes should be clean, in good shape, and fit well. What’s visible in the background should be a place she’d want to be with you. In other words, you need to look like basic boyfriend material. {banner1:let-us-plan-your-last-first-date} Mistake #3: Getting It All Out Of ProportionThere are two main ways you can screw this up - using an extreme close up, or leading with a distance shot where you blend into the background. When your face looms too largely in the frame, it becomes a bit warped - something researchers have found makes you appear less trustworthy. You want to show enough of your body to give the image some context, and for most guys the floating head look isn’t terribly flattering. But when you go too far in the other direction and lead with a full body shot where your face is only a tiny portion of the picture, nothing really stands out in the frame. If her eye isn’t immediately drawn to your photo, it’s a lot easier for her to swipe left on auto-pilot simply because she isn’t intrigued at first glance. You absolutely should include a full-body shot in your lineup, just not as your primary pic. Dating App Tip #3: Think Like A Pro For your primary photo, borrow a page from the professional playbook and lead with a "headshot." Models and actors often score auditions because their headshot stood out from all the others - and that same approach works just as well on a dating app. Choose (or crop) the image so that your head and upper body is the focal point of the frame, and Lead with a profile pic that has strong eye contact. Eye contact = instant connection. These two key traits have been scientifically proven to make your dating photo more attractive, so if your current primary photo doesn’t follow these rules swap it out stat with one that does. That should get you more right swipes. Mistake #4: Being Just Another Face In The CrowdLeading with a group shot is a big mistake on Tinder, Hinge or any other dating app. Online dating is hugely popular right now, which means you have a ton of competition for the hottest matches - so why put yourself in competition with the other guys in your photo too? Many women automatically swipe left on group shots, simply because they’re tired of playing the “which guy are you?” game. And imagine her disappointment if she does bother to check out the rest of your lineup, then discovers you’re not the one she had her eye on. Talk about setting yourself up for failure. Dating App Tip #4: Don't Share The Spotlight This one’s obvious - choose a primary photo where you’re the only one in it. But to maximize right swipe potential, don’t opt for a selfie (especially a bathroom mirror selfie). Research has shown selfies can make you seem less attractive, more narcissistic and less likable than you would be perceived as being in a photo taken by someone else. And on Hinge in particular, selfies 40% less likely to receive a “like,” and bathroom selfies are a whopping 90% less likely to get one. Mistake #5: Projecting InsecurityIf you’re hiding your face in your primary photo, or worse, you’re not even in it, she’ll likely assume you’re insecure and not confident in your appearance. Obscuring your face with a SnapChat filter can have the same effect, since she’ll probably think you’re trying to camouflage something. You’re probably highly suspect of that heavily airbrushed/flower garland combo you’ve seen on women’s profiles, right? Don’t do that to her. Dating App Tip #5: Be Easy On The Eyes (Literally) Simplicity works best, because uncomplicated images are inherently more attractive to the brain: Your primary photo should project confidence - direct eye contact, crisp focus, and lots of contrast between you and the backdrop. Now let’s talk about the rest of your dating app photo lineup. Dating App Tip #6: Give Her Something To Talk About Choose photos that compel comments. Many dating apps, like Hinge and Facebook Dating, invite users to comment on a photo, which is the equivalent of a right swipe or a “like.” Some types of photos lend themselves more readily to comments than others. Take the photo in the previous tip, for instance. While it makes for a great eye-catching primary photo, there’s not really anything in it that easy to comment on. You want to include a few photos where you’re actually doing something, or interacting with your environment in some way, rather than filling your lineup with static “portrait” type images. Pets, travel, hobbies, events, sports and other “action” shots all make excellent message bait. All she has to do is reach out with a comment like “Cute puppy!” or “Beautiful lake, where was it taken?” and boom - your message exchange is up and running. Want even more dating photo advice? Check out these expert photo tips! The Advice Applies To Your Bio Too! Your photos get the most attention on dating apps, but that doesn’t mean you can let your bio slide, or dash off lame answers to the mandatory prompts. The details you choose to include can make a huge difference, as just about anything she sees in your profile could end up turning her off. Over half of all single women will carefully evaluate your profile before swiping right, so it’s worth the effort to make everything as attractive as possible. And even if she does swipe right based on your photos alone, odds are excellent she’ll end up taking a much closer look before she returns your first message. Depending on what app you’re using, your bio can be anywhere from 70 to 500+ characters - not a ton of space to work with. You can score some great short dating profile examples for guys here, but for now these 3 dating profile tips will help you nail your bio and prompt answers! Dating App Tip #7: Stay Away From The Dark Side Don't be a downer. Chances are this isn’t your first rodeo, and you probably have at least one serious relationship in your past. But even if you feel like you were epically wronged by your ex, keep any whiff of drama out of your dating profile. Complaints, a laundry list of what you’re not looking for, or a laser focus on traits like honesty and loyalty can give the impression you’re not over your last romance, and few women are actively looking to take on a ‘project’ kind of guy. Dating App Tip #8: Think About Why You’re Boyfriend Material, Then Prove It A long list of adjectives in your profile is rarely effective. Instead, when she’s done reading it you want her to come to the conclusion on her own that you’re all those things. That’s the magic of showing - not telling. Take a few minutes and write down a list of all the positive traits you bring to the table. Having a job that you love, the means to travel, interesting hobbies, a super cute dog… anything that makes you seem like a good catch. The longer the list, the more you’ll have to work with in your dating profile, so don’t be shy - ask a friend, your mom, your sister… they’ll likely have some good input. Now, put some thought into the kind of woman your “ideal partner” would be. What traits do you think would be most important to someone like her? Those are the ones you’ll want to include in your profile, but don’t just write “I am X, Y and Z” because that’s lame: It’s a lot more believable when you describe how you embody those traits. Here are 3 great Tinder bio examples that are packed with “dateable” qualities: Prompts usually have short character limits, so your best course of action there is to jot down a list of all the traits you possess that you think your ideal partner is looking for. Then choose the prompts that naturally lend themselves to highlighting one or more of those qualities. It will make your profile that much more right swipeable. Here’s an example of a prompt answer that subtly lets her know you travel and you’re physically fit: Dating App Tip #9: Don’t Leave Anything To Chance Put in the effort to learn what works & what doesn't. You already know there’s a steep learning curve when it comes to maximizing your results on dating apps. If it was easy to present yourself in a naturally attractive way and pick photos that not only look good but appeal to women on multiple levels, you wouldn’t be reading this! So you spend your time testing out various combinations of photos and profiles to see what works best for you, and then tackle the art of writing messages that actually get responses… Or you can let the modern dating experts at VIDA do all of that for you, in a fraction of the time! VIDA’s process works. From creating a profile that will get even the hottest women in your area swiping right to sending intriguing, conversational messages that compel responses, everything VIDA does for you is based on a decade’s worth of data! There’s no easier way to finally meet someone incredible, on any dating app you want to use. With VIDA’s professional writers and photo experts on your team, all that’s left for you to do is show up on all the dates! Click here to find out how it all works! {banner3:the-right-person-changes-everything-inline}
