If you’re new to Tinder, you might be surprised that it isn’t always used when choosing your own main profile picture. Or rather, you choose what you think will be your main image, and then Tinder decides whether it will be. So how does Tinder pick your best photo?
When you first set up your Tinder profile, you add images as normal and choose the right ones for the right audience. Once your profile goes live, Tinder Smart Photo analyzes your images and uses a secret algorithm to decide which of your images will perform best.
Tinder Smart Photos
Tinder Smart Photos uses big data to decide which features perform best on profiles. As we all swipe left and right in the app, every action is recorded and then compared to the image presented to us. Tinder then analyzes this data to decide which images and what types of images get the most accurate scrolling. Tinder Smart Photos then uses this data to put your ‘best’ picture on top.
When you swipe left or right on profiles, Tinder Smart Photos records every move. As others swipe left or right on your images, it does the same. The more you use it, the better it understands which images you want to see. The more others use it on you, the better Tinder Smart Photos will understand which of your images works best. Essentially, the more accurately one of your images scrolls, the more likely it is to be selected as your best photo.
The idea is to ensure that all Tinder users have their best-performing images served to as many people as possible. If we are not successful in the end, we stop using the application. After all, we can only be denied so much!
To be successful on Tinder, you still need to strive to provide good images for Tinder Smart Photos to work with.
How to take successful photos for Tinder?
Tinder Smart Photos needs good quality material to work its magic. Since Tinder is all about looks, making sure your pictures are good is doubly important. Here are some tips for taking photos for Tinder that increase your chances of success.
quality is everything
Forget selfies. There are millions on Tinder, and very few are truly worth a second glance. Choose the best quality images taken by someone else. If you know someone who is good with the camera, use it. Otherwise, pay a professional to take some quality shots for practice. Many professionals will understand the specific needs of Tinder and will be able to provide quality images.
If you’re not using a professional, keep these in mind:
copying is not bad
Everything is fair game in dating, so if you need to copy someone to achieve success, go for it. Find out who are the most popular people on Tinder and copy the style and setting of their pictures. The most attractive, if not the most popular, of your gender and copy them.
Look at the pose, the expression, the setting, and the image itself. Take a screenshot if you want and copy it for yourself. Put your own personality in the image so it’s not just a pastiche of the original.
Head and shoulders up
The most successful images on Tinder are head and shoulder shots. A quality image with a clear view of your face will win the most accurate scrolls. Drop group or hobby shots for supportive action. Your main image should be you smiling or looking cool.
get a second opinion
Get a second, third, or fourth opinion when you have a selection of suitable shots to use on Tinder. Be sure to ask members of the gender you’re trying to attract to make sure you’re getting what they’re looking for. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism either. Use this to your advantage and integrate it into your images wherever possible.
don’t be afraid to look away
A quality headshot photo where a smiling person makes eye contact with the camera can be powerful, while looking into the past or far away. As long as the profile isn’t too narrow and the picture shows a good portion of your face, it will work. It also adds atmosphere and some mystery to a shot that can work wonders.
Tinder Smart Photos is smart, but it needs good material to work with to do its best for you. We may not know exactly how Tinder Smart Photos picks the best photo, but we do know that it uses what it takes to ensure as much success as possible. That alone makes investing in a good image worthwhile, right?
