Unless you’ve been living under a block or existing without internet and social media (and chances are you haven’t), you are probably aware that Tinder recently emerged in the last twelve months or so as the latest and one of the most used innovations in online dating.
So, if you want to get familiar with this new concept, you’ll want to follow this Tinder Online Dating Guide and continue reading.
What is Tinder?
What is Tinder? Tinder is a social media dating website. In a nutshell, users fill out a profile after signing up and then receive match updates. They can view their matches and swipe a yes or no choice on their phones, deciding whether or not they wish to pursue any interaction with any of the matches.
Plus, the nice thing about getting matches is that the system allows users to text that match to try and make some small, getting to know each other, type of talk.
Another nice thing about Tinder is that it attracts both men and women alike. To read up on more on this, you can see How Tinder Solved Onlinte Dating for Women and How to Use Tinder With Tact.
How Can You Use Tinder?
So, what are some ways you can best utilize Tinder if you wish to use it to meet and date people? Using Tinder is all about how you set up your profile, approach people, and maximize the best traits about yourself. Some people wonder if they don’t look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie if they have any chance at meeting people on a dating application when a lot of what people advertise is looks.
Users certainly don’t need to look like models or Hollywood celebrities to use Tinder successfully; they just need to make the most of what is special about them. Besides, while attractiveness is certainly a nice feature to have, it is only one feature many people look at when entering the online dating sphere. Don’t forget—there are plenty of other concepts besides attractiveness that people find interesting.
So, if you want to get started with Tinder, where do you go to get the app? Try Tinder’s official website for some tips.
Occasionally, you may wind up chatting with somebody who wants to chat off of Tinder—
a good place to go for other messaging if you do not want to use texts yet is Kik or WhatsApp.
Getting Started
In order to get the Tinder app to work successfully on your computer, you need to use an Android emulator like BlueStacks. Below is a list of steps that should help you download and install all that you need to get Tinder running on your computer.
- First, you need to download and install BlueStacks.
- Once BlueStacks completes its installation, open it. You then need to start the program, and once that is done, finalize your sign up.
- Once you’ve signed up, you need to go into your Google Play Store and login to your Google Play Account.
- Go to the search area of the Google Play Store (the magnifying glass) and type in Tinder. Once it pulls up, click on it.
- Clicking on Tinder will take you directly to the application download page. From there, you can click on “Install.” At this point, a message may pop up asking you to agree to the Google Play Store’s terms and conditions. You do need to ensure you click on accept to jump start the download.
- You’ll notice the download initializing.
- Once your computer is finished with the download, Tinder can be both accessed and used on your computer.
- After the download completes, your Tinder application will be ready for use on your computer.
After completed your Tinder download, you’ll be presented with a nice little overview about how to use the app. The overview is worth watching for any new user, but don’t worry about it if you skip it—one great thing about Tinder is its ease of use factor. It’s both quick and fun to learn.
You need to use your Facebook account with Tinder, so your first step is to login to your Facebook account. And know that while Tinder utilizes Facebook to log you into the app, it won’t go revealing anything about what you are doing on Tinder publically on Facebook—your Tinder secrets are safe from Facebook.
After you login through your Facebook account, you’ll notice Tinder remotely detect where you are at. The whole point of this feature is to allow you to meet new people in your area, so make sure you allow the detection for a more beneficial Tinder experience.
After this step, you are pretty much inside the app. You’ll be able to see pictures of nearby single Tinder users, and you can glance through these pictures to decide whether you like the person or not. How do you mark your potential hook-ups? It’s actually quite simple. Once you’re looking at a picture, swipe it to the left if you are intrigued and want to know more, or swipe it to the right if you are not interested.
If you don’t like dragging or don’t have a touchscreen computer, you have another option. Instead of dragging left for a like, you can click on the heart for a “like,” and instead of dragging right, click on the “X” for not interested. If you are trying to figure out the distance of a potential like from your area, click on the “i” for that information.
Next, if you like somebody, and they like you back, you’re finally able to message that person and start chatting.
So now that you have the gist of how to use Tinder, how can you best setup your profile for maximum potential? Following are some tips and a dating guide about how you can best utilize Tinder for successful online dating experiences. The tips should give you some food for thought about ways you will approach both setting up your profile and communicating with others.
Following are some tips and a dating guide about how you can best utilize Tinder for successful online dating experiences. The tips should give you some food for thought about ways you will approach both setting up your profile and communicating with others.
That First Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Now although it is true that attractiveness is just one feature people look at when selecting who to date, the initial picture you post is going to say a lot to prospective matches. A good majority of the time, people that use Tinder admit that they go no farther beyond a candidate than looking at the first picture (meaning only sometimes do they bother to read the profile). This concept occurs because attractiveness is one of the first features humans tend to look at in the dating world.
As already stated, not everybody looks like a celebrity, and you don’t have to to obtain matches and dates—they aren’t all celebrities on the other end, either. What you need is an interesting, stand out type profile picture—something that would catch another person’s interest and make them want to get to know you, forcing them to read your profile.
Picture Tips: Make it Decent
So, you need a decent picture of yourself, good quality, that is both interesting and displays you in your best light. For instance, if you enjoy a sport, like golf, get a good picture of yourself on a golf course. This picture can be a conversation lead-in—if the match also likes the sport, he or she will probably stop and look. You certainly don’t want to fake this—you want the real you to come through, and something interesting about your personality as well. Other suggestions include wearing an interesting set of clothes, maybe holding something that reflects on a hobby (like a microphone for a singer), and finding an interesting background or place in which to take the picture. Some people also like to include their pets in their pictures, which is another way to make things catchy.
Picture Tips: Be Creative
So be creative with that first photo. Make sure the shot is a decent one of your face, enough to see the gist of your profile, or nobody is going to look much closer and have a bit of fun with it. Also, make sure that you avoid taking a selfie and get somebody to take the picture of you—a lot of people despise selfies on online dating sites and automatically disqualify you for one. A photo shoot might even be worth it if you can afford one for this because you’ll get both creativities mixed in with your personality and some excellent, high-quality photos. Make sure to look happy and upbeat in the picture, and only include yourself in the picture. Nobody at this point wants to see your friends—they want to see you, so keep the focus on yourself. Also, the picture with other people can do you an injustice if you’ve got a super attractive friend in that picture—honestly, it might make you seem uglier.
Picture Tips: Watch Angles
Pay attention to angles. People typically have a favorite angle where they look better in a picture. So get a picture from your best angle. If you are not sure, take some selfies and experiment with angles. Another suggestion is to not only allow yourself to pick the angle but ask some other people what angle they think they think looks best for you, as you might wind up with a consensus from your friends you would not have chosen as the best angle.
If you are in good shape or know that your body is a great feature of yours, don’t skip out on including it in the picture. However, people do not like snobbery or those that seem arrogant or over-confident, so certainly no hot body selfies for this. Include your body in the picture as long as your face is visible, but make sure somebody else takes the picture, and do not put the emphasis on showing off.
Picture Tips: Be Honest
The most important thing is to make that picture honest and interesting. You want it to be a depiction of who you are, with some creative, catchy emphasis that will make people want to read more. Once you’ve settled on a picture or two, it never hurts to ask friends and family for some feedback on your picture selection, just to make sure the picture shows what you think it reflects on you. The most serious part of this process is to put a good deal of thought into your profile’s picture because it is the thing people will be viewing the most often.
Make That Description Short and Sweet
So, if somebody sees that picture and likes it, the next place your match will visit is your description. If your picture is not good enough nobody will bother to read your description, but hopefully, you have paid attention to the picture pointers here so several matches will want to look. The bottom line is, if somebody is reading your description, that person is interested in you.
Description Tips: Get to the Point
For your description, you do not want to make it too long. In most cases, people just need to get to know a little taste about you and pick up the most important things. They do not need a biography or your life’s story. Make sure to write in complete sentences, so you look like a comprehensible communicator (communication is extremely important in most relationships). If you are a naturally funny, playful person, and it is easy for you to write about yourself in that tone, you can and show off your personality a bit. However, make sure to get a second opinion here and do not go too far over into the “trying to be funny but to come off as lame” category. Don’t force it into your profile if it just isn’t happening. You can always update it later.
Description Tips: Cover Your Best Traits
Cover your best traits—physical and lifestyle. Do you have an interesting job? What degrees do you have? Do you live a healthy lifestyle and work out? What are your hobbies? Show you have some ambition and passion about life (typically we all know these types of people are more interesting) and get that feeling into your writing. Leave out your less attractive traits—there is no need to share them. Don’t be afraid to have standards as well; most people like others that set standards. For instance, if there is a behavior in the opposite gender you don’t like, say it. It means you are an honest person seeking a mate with good qualities. You can also talk about features you like in the opposite gender, to add a little flair.
So just like your picture, you want to put a bit of thought into this process. It’s important for the best use of your Tinder profile and is more likely to get you back into the dating world.
How to Save Time Using Tinder
If you are low in time to use on Tinder, there is a strategy you can use. If your profile starts getting viewed often, you will get about 50 likes and the ability to pick one super like every 12 hours. Your super like is the person that wins your vote for that 12-hour period. Take a look at the results, swipe through the choices, and then decide on your super like pick. You can repeat this strategy every 12 hours for the most efficient time results.
Now that doesn’t mean you can’t look around and spend more time on Tinder if you have the time. It is totally up to you. However, some people have a hard time squeezing new time commitments into their lives, so I figured I’d offer a time management tip.
Enjoy Yourself!
Hopefully, this Tinder Online Dating Guide has given you some effective and useful pointers about the best ways you can use Tinder for dating. Now, make sure to utilize that photo and description, and have a fun time meeting new people.