TechJunkie’s latest Bumble coverage has spawned a few emails asking us questions about how to use the app, how it works, and all that good stuff. A question that surprised us came from a female user who asked how to love someone on Bumble.
We are not dating experts. We are just a group of people with various experiences in online dating. This is one of those times when a level of knowledge is taken for granted, so I thought it was an excellent excuse to provide a very basic overview of how to pair with someone on Bumble, and then a few reasons why we should match with them.
How to match someone on Bumble
First, to this original question. Like is for Facebook, match is for Bumble and Tinder and countless other dating apps. To like someone is to match with them, open the way to a conversation and maybe more. If you like someone on Bumble, all you have to do is look at their pictures, browse their bio, then swipe right. If you don’t like their look, just swipe left.
Dating apps gamify dating. They take game aspects like swiping action, ‘won’t they’ danger, time limits, points and rewards to get us to interact with them more. If you know this, you can work with it. Then you can get more than that.
Why do we match up with someone on Bumble?
As with normal dating, we all make decisions for different reasons. Sometimes it can be as simple as you like the picture or bio. Or it could be a little more complicated. While researching our Bumble coverage, I asked many users why they were directly swiping people. Besides the obvious answer, there were several surprising reasons.
- You live in a neighborhood where I would like to live.
- It looks like you’re going to buy me a lot of food or a drink.
- What have I got to lose?
- You have a very nice business.
- You’re wearing a uniform in your picture.
- You have an interesting biography and most people don’t.
- You look funny or relaxed.
- You know the difference between you and you.
- I like your dog/cat/horse/other animal in your picture.
- You’re friends with someone I’m trying to make jealous.
- I wanted to see if you could swipe right for me too.
- You look like someone I’m already obsessed with and I can’t have them, you will.
- Your profile picture looks different from most of the others.
- I’m bored/horny/curious/desperate.
- You are here for a cultural exchange or studying abroad.
- You are tall/slim/fat/muscular/shape.
- You are a criminal and I am gathering evidence to convict you.
- You’re incredibly sexy in your duck hunting gear.
- We went to school together and I just want to remember.
- I’m after ego boost.
- You have a guitar.
- There are no emojis in the bio.
- Your beard and/or hair is full.
- You’re implying emotional inaccessibility.
These are just 25 of the many reasons people indicate that they can swipe right on someone on Bumble. Some are very obvious while others are not so much. Some are totally surprising and all are useful to keep in mind when creating your Bumble profile.
Some of these answers are purely subjective. Not everyone likes duck hunting or wants to replace someone who has an obsession. Yet many of the answers are actionable.
By reading some of them, you can get an idea of how to compile an effective dating profile. Add some very good pictures that make you look cool and relaxed. If you have a dog, use it in a picture. If you play the guitar or any other great instrument, be sure to feature it. If you have a hair or beard, make sure it is neat and well-groomed. If you’re coming from an exotic place, be sure to mention this, and if you’re wearing a uniform to work, you should have a photo of you wearing it!
Use spellcheck when writing your bio and then ask someone else to check it. Emojis have a place in society, but this is not a dating bio. Keep it short, simple and fun if possible. Nobody likes a narcissist.
Finally, talk about some cool aspects of your personality, but also leave a lot to the mystery. People love mystery. Try to provoke rather than answer questions, as it gives the reader a reason to message you. Follow some or all of these guidelines and you should start to have more success with Bumble. Good luck!
