Dating: Choosing The Right App For You

Alyssa Dineen8 min

Dating Expert

Rebuild with Intention
Dating

So you’ve come around to the idea of online dating. That’s great news — congrats!

There are plenty of dating apps out there, but four of them are the easiest to use and boast plenty of prospective matches.

Let’s dive into the Big Four.

1. TINDER

How much of someone’s profile can you see without scrolling? First photo, age, and beginning of bio.

Number of photos: 9

Photo format: Vertical photos are best. If you add square or horizontal photos, Tinder will crop them so they’re vertical.

Maximum number of characters for bio: 500

Any question prompts to answer in addition to bio? No.

Bio style: Make these 500 characters count! Name a few quick preferences or fun facts, and make sure someone who matches with you has enough to go on to start a conversation.

Swiping or no swiping? Swiping.

How does matching work? If you both swipe right, you’ll match! You can’t see who has already swiped right on you in the free version, but if you upgrade to Tinder Gold you’ll be able to see a full list of everyone who has already liked your profile.

How does messaging work? Once you’ve matched, either you or your match can send a message to start the conversation.

TIP: Sign up for at least two apps at the same time if you can, especially if you’re really motivated to meet someone. Not only will you expand your reach in terms of sheer numbers, but you also might find that your profile performs better on some apps or that you prefer one type of messaging over another.

2. BUMBLE

How much of someone’s profile can you see without scrolling? First photo, age, job, and education.

Number of photos: 6

Photo format: Vertical and square look best, but you can use horizontal photos without cropping — though they will be much smaller, since they can only be the width of your phone. Your first photo must be vertical.

Maximum number of characters for bio: 300

Any question prompts to answer in addition to bio? Yes. You can answer up to three Bumble prompts in addition to your bio.

Bio style: Since you have only 300 characters, keep it short, fun, and eye-catching!

Swiping or no swiping? Swiping.

How does matching work? If you both swipe right, you’ll match! Just like Tinder, you can’t see who’s already liked you in the free version, but can access that queue if you upgrade to Bumble Premium.

How does messaging work? For M/F users seeking the opposite sex, Bumble differs from Tinder because women must start the conversation (men can’t), and the match will expire after 24 hours if no conversation has been started. All users get one free “Extend” to use per day, where you can extend that window by an additional 24 hours (a handy way to indicate you’re particularly interested in someone and don’t want the match to expire). If you upgrade to Bumble Premium, you have the ability to re-match with expired matches, and you’ll have unlimited Extends.

TIP: Try to avoid generic opening lines like “How's your week going?” or “What are you up to tonight?” Maybe you’ll get a response, but more likely you won’t. Instead, try something personalized, based on their bio. Then follow up with a question. Something like “I notice you’re a big [band name] fan. I saw them live in [year]. What’s your next concert?”

3. HINGE

How much of someone’s profile can you see without scrolling? First photo and first Hinge prompt.

Number of photos: 6

Photo format: Square photos are best. Like Tinder, you can use vertical or horizontal photos, but they’ll be cropped to a square.

Maximum number of characters for bio: Hinge does not have a traditional bio section. Instead, your entire profile is your response to three Hinge prompts. You are allotted 225 characters per answer.

Any question prompts to answer in addition to bio? As mentioned, your whole profile is your response to those three Hinge prompts — Hinge has a list of 60+ prompts to choose from.

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