Say what you will about Tinder, but when that app started appearing on singles’ phones in 2013, it absolutely changed the dating game forever. There are now about 57 million monthly active users on the app who typically log on between 4-5 times each day, making over 26 million new matches daily. In total, over 20 billion matches have been made on Tinder over the last decade, and it’s the most downloaded dating app in the world. But just because a huge number of people use Tinder doesn’t mean they all know how to use it well. 

Apparently, men on Tinder swipe right about 46.4% of the time, while women swipe right only 14.8% of the time. So clearly, there’s room for improvement in a lot of users’ profiles. Some of the most common reasons for passing on a potential partner are: they didn’t put enough effort into their profile; their bio was cliche; their interests were too vague; they had photos doing activities you hate (Hunting or fishing pics? Immediate swipe left.); and they complained too much on their profile. 

To learn more about what it takes to have a standout Tinder profile, we reached out to Florian Höller, also known as the Tinder Mentor, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. "A great Tinder profile is something that is a good representation of your 'vibe,'" Florian says. "On one hand, authenticity is very important, but so is showing yourself from your best side. That balance is what most people are struggling with and what I help my clients with mostly."

But the expert actually doesn't think incorporating humor into your profile is a great idea. "I wish it was different," he shared. "The reason is pretty simple: Humor always needs context. People usually don't spend enough time to understand context in order for humor to consistently work. Plus, there's always that danger of other users thinking you're not even serious."

When it comes to the most important thing Tinder users should keep in mind when crafting their profiles, Florian says, "You want to come across as confident but still approachable and not try hard as a man."

"As a woman, what works best is presenting yourself as easy going, natural but at the same time as someone who is actually interested in making connections and engage with men."

Florian's most important tip is to avoid any kind of negativity on your profile. "If you're a girl and you only want to date men over 6 foot, don't write that in your bio," the expert shared. "The number of men who are actually taller than that but don't want to date a girl who makes that superficial distinction is higher than most are aware of."

"Same goes for any other kind of physical attributes, and it's actually true for both men and women on their profiles," Florian noted. "Understand it's your job to swipe left or right on who you like. So let whoever wants to swipe right on you, and then do the filtering yourself either swiping, or through actually texting."

If you'd like to learn more advice from the Tinder Mentor, be sure to visit Florian's website!

When it comes to what makes Tinder users swipe right, initial attraction obviously plays a huge factor. But according to Dr. Laura Germine, a researcher in psychiatric genetics, our personal taste is usually not too far off from what we look like ourselves. "Facial features that are familiar to us, we tend to find more attractive, probably because of the sheer level of exposure we have to those sorts of facial features,” Dr. Germine explained to Bustle.

But we also judge a potential partner’s personality traits based on what photos they choose to share on Tinder. Men who appear “fun and outgoing” on their profiles are seen as more successful than guys who look more reserved. And women who come off as “smart or serious” in their dating profiles receive fewer messages than those who are perceived as fun and carefree. 

We also look for traits that are unique when we’re swiping through dating profiles. After seeing 100 brunette men with the same haircut who all have a dog and love to go hiking, it can feel like you’re swiping in circles. But if someone suddenly stands out, has a witty bio and has photos that don’t look like they came from a Google search for “pretty girl standing outside,” they might be a godsend for a bored Tinder user. OkCupid’s Jimena Almendares told Bustle that dating app users should play up their unique traits. While they might not be everyone’s cup of tea, they will stand out to the right person. And at the end of the day, it’s not about how many matches you get, it’s about getting the right one. 

Everyone has their own opinion on what makes for the perfect Tinder profile, because we all have different tastes. But there are a few ground rules that everyone should understand before venturing into the harsh world of online dating, especially if they actually want to get matches. First of all, no group photos, therapist Taylor Orlandoni, MHC-LP, told Women’s Health. It can be confusing, and it can backfire when people start messaging you asking for your friend’s details. Your dating profile is the one place that should be all about you! 

It’s also important to clearly state your intentions on Tinder to avoid wasting your own and anyone else’s time. If you’re just looking for some fun but aren’t willing to commit to a relationship, don’t lead anyone on. And if you are looking for a relationship, be up front about that too. Your photo choices can even help convey to viewers what you’re looking for. More suggestive or revealing pics might imply that you’re more interested in hookups, while more wholesome, PG photos might imply that you’re in need of a more genuine connection.   

In 2018, Badoo also investigated some of the top reasons Tinder users decide to swipe right, and according to their findings, nearly a third of women appreciate seeing a profile picture of a potential partner in the countryside. 29% also love to find a dog on a man’s profile, and 18% swipe right on someone who shows off their tattoos on their profile. 18% also appreciate men with beards, and 7% even swipe right on photos of guys with their cars. And you might be surprised to find out that 8% also appreciate photos of men taken at the gym. I guess it is attractive to know that someone lives an active lifestyle?

On the other hand, there are, of course, some things that cause women to immediately swipe left. And according to Badoo, 54% of women do not like to see a guy share a photo of himself with an attractive woman. Is that his sister, his best friend or his ex? Too much effort to find out, so left swipe it is! 49% of women on Tinder also hate group photos, and 47% don’t want to see any shirtless pics either. 37% reported that they don’t like seeing photos from the gym, so perhaps it’s actually not worth it to share those. And nearly a third swipe left on mirror selfies, while 19% say they’ll swipe left on pics with safari animals as well. 

At the end of the day, your dating profile should reflect your personality. If you think the best way to introduce yourself is to sit in a bathtub full of ramen, more power to you. Even if it doesn’t get you hundreds of matches, I’m sure it will win you at least one who shares a love of Japanese noodles too. And we here at Bored Panda can appreciate all the effort you’ve put into that profile too, because now we get to have a laugh and share it with our friends as well!

Do you feel like you’ve learned how to perfect your online dating game, pandas? We hope you’re enjoying reading through all of these profiles, and be sure to keep upvoting the ones you’d be happy to swipe right on. Then, if you’re interested in checking out even more brilliant and hilarious Tinder profiles, be sure to check out Bored Panda’s last article on the same topic!