Tinder Profile Photo

The perfect Tinder Profile photo

If you’ve been using Tinder for some time now but still haven’t gotten a lot of likes, it might be that you need to improve on your profile pictures. Ideally, users should have about 4-6 unique photos on their profile. Make sure these are varied concerning the environment, the angle, pose, expression, lighting and clothing. With the help of PhotoAid, you can increase your number of likes, super likes and compatible people finding you in no time. 

Your profile photo is the first thing other users see, so make sure it looks good. While a well-written bio can contribute to more people finding you, your profile photo will be the thing that catches another user's eye. First impressions are really what counts here, so keep on reading to find out more on how to take convincing profile photos.

How to take the perfect Tinder profile picture 

Setting up a profile sounds pretty simple right? While creating it sounds pretty easy, in reality, it can be quite tricky since a lot of thought has to go into the process and it will determine how many people have a look at your profile and actually like what they see. Before you start stressing out about it, we are here to tell you that there is definitely no need to go buy a professional camera. By simply using PhotoAid and following the tips listed below, you will be sure to have the best photo of them all.

Proper lighting

The way your picture is lit can make a huge overall difference on how it is perceived by others. Remember that natural lighting is your best friend: you can get great results by going out and taking a picture in the park. In addition, it will greatly increase the quality of your photo. If you take it indoors, a window would be the perfect spot. Be sure to face the window while taking the picture, so as not to have any shadows in or around your face. Don’t stand facing away from the window as this would darken the image and make your face hard to recognise.

Photo quality

As we already mentioned, there’s absolutely no need for a professional camera or even a photographer. It might simplify things if you have a friend take your photo, but there’s no need to worry if you do not have anyone around you at the moment. You can easily take the picture on your own as well, using your phone. Photos of high quality automatically boost your profile by a lot since with pictures of bad quality, other users might think you didn’t bother taking the time for taking a good picture and it does not mean so much to you.

Smile

While this may seem a little obvious, a welcoming smile can work wonders and will very likely earn you a lot of swipes to the right. Coming across as friendly and open is always a good thing and lightens up your profile. In addition to it being the perfect introduction to your photos and profile, you will seem a lot more approachable, friendly and confident. Just be yourself and the battle’s half won! 

Be authentic

Authenticity is key. Don’t try pretending to be someone you are not and try fishing for more views and likes by taking pictures only from a certain angle or with a certain light or filters and giving the impression of giving too much of a forced effort to look like a supermodel. It doesn’t help others in finding you and will only harm your process in the long run. The best way to go is by just being yourself and acting naturally. 

If you like going climbing, hiking or being artistic in your free time, this is the opportunity to show it! Your pictures should represent who you are and show your hobbies and preferences. Posting pictures of you “in the moment” has a much higher guarantee for success than photos of you posing. Don’t add pictures that seem staged or fake in any way. In addition, pictures showing you in action provide great conversation starters. Imagine only getting “How are you”, “How was your day?” or “Nice to meet you”. Boring.

Maintain eye-contact

While candid photos are a nice addition to your gallery, be sure to include photos of you maintaining eye contact with the lens. Several studies have proven that profile pictures of users looking into the camera are a lot more likely to be viewed and swiped to the right than pictures of people looking off into space. Letting other people see your eyes is important for allowing people to connect on a personal level, which is why wearing sunglasses is also not the best idea for your profile picture.

Too many filters

While filters aren’t necessarily a bad thing if used in moderation, it’s best to leave them if you are not a professional photographer, as the risk of ruining the photo and making it look fake is just too high. Too much retouching and photoshopping should also be avoided at all costs. Wrongly retouching a photo can make it end up looking a lot worse than it was to start with. Our tip would be to just leave it as it is- the more natural it seems, the better.

Pay attention to your outfit

There’s no need to dress up for Tinder: just wear what you would on a normal day to come across as more natural and authentic. Dress well, but don’t overdo it.

Some things to avoid are sunglasses, hats and caps covering parts of your face and shirtless or half-naked photos which will make you look very self-absorbed and usually don’t attract the right kind of people. Your eyes and face need to be fully visible as you don’t want other users to think you are hiding something. 

In general, your best option is to take a natural-looking picture that seems effortless but is flattering at the same time. Putting on a bit of make-up is great if you feel like it, just don’t overdo it.

Having your picture taken at a special event is also a great opportunity for other Tinder users to see how you dress up for different occasions. This can be a formal picture taken at a wedding or a festive holiday or even parties where everyone dresses up, like for example at Halloween. You could use these pictures to show off your fun side and creative streak. Just make sure to take pictures at dress-up parties early on, as the outfits tend to get a bit muddled during the evening.

Find a nice spot to take your picture

While a cluttered background is a no-go, having something other than a tidy room or a white background is likely to attract a lot more interest, and might show where you like spending your time. Picturesque hilltops, parks or even mountains provide a great backdrop for your photos and will make them stand out.

Some additional hints

In addition to the tips concerning the photo process, take a look at the additional tips and things to look out for when taking a Tinder profile photo. These can also make a huge difference.

The right photo dimensions

Photos on Tinder get cropped to fit the square photo dimensions of 640 x 640, with a required aspect ratio of 7:10. Because of these guidelines, it might happen that any photo uploaded in another size or shape will get stretched or squashed which will not only make your face look weird but will also decrease the photo quality.

Group photos

While there’s nothing wrong with group photos per se, and you get a chance to show the number of friends you have and what social activities you enjoy doing in your free time, these photos are not the only ones you will want your future soulmate to see of you, as they can be a bit confusing and it might not be sure who you are in the image. Additionally, having attractive friends in your photo might lessen your chance of getting a like as other users might try finding out more about your friend than you. In no case should you take a group photo as the first profile picture people will see of you. Also skip the family photos, and photos of huge groups and be sure not to add a picture with more than four people in it so that it’s always clear who you are. Often, it’s best just to show off alone.

Selfies

Selfies are another point altogether. Make sure not to add more than one to your profile photos. Don’t add too many as they may make you come across as narcissistic and self-absorbed. 

The best plan of action would be to ask for some help. Your friends will be happy to take a picture for you and be a part of your success. While you can also use a tripod by yourself, it would be a lot easier to simply ask someone to take your picture. That way, you will get the angle, lighting and pose right.

Action photos

Travel photos or photos of you pursuing your hobbies provide great conversation starters. They show where and how you like spending your time and which kind of activities mean a lot to you. Uploading travel photos for instance shows other users what kind of traveller you are: more of the relaxed kind, adventure-seeker or Instagram photographer. In addition, you are likely to seem a lot more at ease on a travel pic than on one taken during a photoshoot. Posting pictures of you at the beach, camping, going for a walk with your dog or you having fun at the concert you last visited is sure to provide enough conversation starters and will get you chatting in no time. When you are out and about, ask other tourists to take your picture as they will probably get a better photo of you, than you could of yourself. Try avoiding selfies in this case.

Profile photos on other social platforms

It’s very likely that at one point in time, Tinder users are going to take a look at your other social networking profiles like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr, so make sure not to have photos of you on these websites that could lower your chances of getting a swipe to the right.

Common Tinder profile photo mistakes 

Be sure to avoid the following mistakes commonly made by Tinder users:

• You are smirking instead of smiling or not trying to smile at all. A smile on profile photos can work wonders on how other people perceive you and provide a great first impression. 
• You’re uploading too many selfies. Rather than uploading a ton of selfies, opt for pictures taken of you doing fun activities or just being yourself. These are a lot more valuable and can tell a lot more about you than a selfie can.
• An overdose of photoshop. Don’t retouch too much and keep your photo as natural as possible.
• The lighting in your photo is bad. Be sure to take the picture outside or facing a window indoors to avoid shadows on your face.
• Your Tinder profile photos all look the same. Spice things up a bit by switching your photo location, pose and outfits.

Using our Tinder Profile Photo Editor

If you want to be on the safe side, you can use a photo editor like PhotoAid to create a Tinder profile photo that will definitely work for you and additionally fill all the requirements concerning the photo dimensions and size. Have a look at our Tinder profile photo app to find out more on what to focus on when taking a tinder profile photo. In addition, when using the app, you will not have to worry about the correct photo dimensions- all of that will be done for you. Another advantage of using PhotoAid is that you’ll have your photo done in no more than 3 seconds! It’s the simple, fast and stress-free way of taking a Tinder profile photo.

Last update: 27/06/2022