Tinder isn’t as popular as it first was when it came out, but millions of people still use it on a daily basis, especially college students. Here are a few tips on how you should use Tinder correctly, whether you’re new at the app or have been on there a while.
DO: have more than one picture.
You can have up to six pictures on your Tinder uploaded from your Facebook account, so pick your favorite selfies and use all the spots. If you are looking for someone yourself, you don’t want to see one picture on their bio that is out of focus or is a big group of people. How are you supposed to know what the person looks like? Choose a variety.
DON’T: give out your location/college.
In a lot of people’s bios, they put where they go to college or what town they live in. Unless you want the person to track down “Megan from MIT” when you reject their advances, don’t put your location out there. It can get dangerous if the person you match with decides to find you later on. Instead, maybe just put your major down or your main area (IE: ‘Boston’ instead of naming the specific suburb) and then if you click with someone, eventually tell them.
DO: have the right age range.
Make sure you put it in correctly so you don’t have 30-year-olds coming up as options when in reality, you’re looking for a 22-year-old. This way, you can also figure out where you want to look. If you decide you want someone still in college rather than someone who’s already graduated, try to pick people under the age of 22 or 23.
DON’T: give out your phone number.
This is just a no-brainer. Unless you have actually had many wonderful conversations with the person or have met up with them in person, do not give them your phone number. One of the best tricks to have if you decide to meet up is to take their number and not give out yours. If they are persistent, say you will put their number in your phone and will text them your number. Then if you decide you like the person and want to hang out, text them. If you know you do not want to contact the person again or think they might creepy-text you, delete their number and never text them. But if you are just in the working stages of your relationship, don’t give your number out.
DO: be nice.
When talking to people you’ve matched with, be nice to the person! Make conversation with them, talk about things other than the weather, and be a genuinely good person. You do not want to be rude or too forward with the person, or they may decide to back off.
DON’T: keep the conversation going if you are uncomfortable.
If you are talking to someone and they are making advances toward you that make you extremely uncomfortable, stop the whole conversation immediately. The nice part about Tinder is that you have the ability to un-match with a person if you want to, so if you’re feeling uneasy about a person, un-match yourself. You will never have to talk to the person again and you’ll stay safe. Don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation if you are uncomfortable with the person.
Happy hunting, Tinder lovers! Stay safe and have fun!