Tinder has fully secured its position as the most popular dating app around the world.
The swiping mechanism that Tinder popularised has been integrating into most competitors, though they fail to keep up with Tinder when it comes to downloads.
However, not everyone considered Tinder to be the best option. So, we took a look through the Tinder app to determine whether it really is the best dating app to download.
Is Tinder just for hookups?
Let’s cut to the chase – many users of the Tinder platform are looking for hookups. If you’re looking for a one night stand, Tinder is the first app that most people look to download.
And if we’re being totally honest, for the part, Tinder is a hookup app. It’s filled with single users that aren’t looking for a serious relationship.
So if you’re looking for something casual, then Tinder is one of the apps that you’ll want to download at least the free version of Tinder.
Though you can also find true love and marriage on apps like Tinder too.
It’s less common, but there are those looking for love on Tinder too, or those that aren’t but catch feelings after meeting up with a match a few times.
Either way, it’s best to state your intent within your bio when you sign up, and if someone doesn’t have this in their bio, assume it’s casual until they indicate otherwise.
Tinder Bio
Your Tinder bio is your money maker. Unless you look like Chris Hemsworth or Margot Robbie, you’ll want to put a little effort into it to ensure that you get likes and matches on the platform.
You get 500 characters to explain who you are and what you’re looking for on Tinder. You should give all the details you need to in order to make your profile stand out from others.
Tinder photos
Your photos are another key aspect of your Tinder profile, and you should select your strongest and best pics to upload to your account.
Most people will want to use at least 3 images, but preferably 4 or 5 if you have them. Show yourself in a different like and different angles to let the other person know what you really look like.
Doing this is good in the long term anyway, because no-one wants to turn up on a date looking less attractive than their pictures suggest.
Tinder Cost & Upgrade Options
The free users of Tinder can use the app without paying a penny, and actually compared to most dating apps, you have a lot of options on Tinder.
Some dating apps don’t even allow you to message others unless you sign up for a paid plan, but with Tinder you can continually match and message people without needing to pay.
There are three different levels you can choose when you sign up for the Tinder platform. There’s Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum, which is the most expensive package that Tinder offer.
They all offer varying different features (which I’ll touch on in a minute), and they vary from as little as £4 per month all the way up to £15 per month.
Features of Tinder
Unlimited likes
The feature that most users want when they upgrade to a premium Tinder account is unlimited likes.
Free users are limited to 25-100 likes per day depending on their account. So, getting rid of this cap and gaining the ability to like as many people as you want can be a great way to get more matches on Tinder.
Boosts
Users of Tinder Premium packages may receive one free boost a day — a 30-minute boost on the Tinder’s app that increases your visibility to other users.
Standard Tinder users may also pay individual boosts via the app too if they want to test the feature out.
Super Likes
Paid versions of Tinder also give the user super likes that can be used with other Tinder profiles.
This will come up immediately on their profile with a blue star as opposed to the green check mark, and it will put you to the front of the Tinder user queue.
It shows the other users that you are definitely interested in them and it guarantees you visibility in their swiping stack – though they may still choose to swipe left.
Match Around the World
Adding Tinder Passport is one of the best things that they have added for premium accounts, as it allows you to quickly change your location when needed.
You can access this on Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum, and it can give you a broader search criteria and more potential matches too.
Rewind Left Swipes
If you feel like you’ve made an accident swiping someone to the left, you can rewind this and get them back again.
This was previously impossible on Tinder, but the addition of this feature ensures that you’re not going to get rid of someone you could actually date.
Turning off ads
Tinder Plus users and above will not see advertisements when using the app, which is one of the most common complaints users have about the design of Tinder.
To some advertisements are a small inconvenience, however some regular users hate them, and these alone can be worth paying a subscription fee to avoid.
Frequently asked Tinder questions
Are they gone forever if I swipe left?
The quick design of Tinder means that you need to swipe left or swipe right on someone quickly, and if you swipe left, they’re typically gone forever. This is unless you have access to premium services, which have the rewind feature built in.
Can someone see you if you swipe left?
Tinder users won’t be notified of your actions if you swipe left on them, so don’t worry about hurting someone else’s feelings, as they’ll never actually know you swiped left on them.
Is Tinder good for actual relationships?
Though it’s not the best app for serious dating, it’s true that a real relationship can be obtained through Tinder. Although rare, it is certainly possible that those searching for love can find a partner through the platform.
Why is Tinder known for hookups?
Tinder was created by the founders initially as a straight version of the well known and used gay dating app Grindr.
Grindr was and is still known for casual dating, and it seems that Tinder has followed suit in attracting younger people looking for a bit of fun.
This could be down to the vain swipe right methods that these apps you, where you just someone on a short bio and a few pictures.
This is in comparison to other dating apps like OkCupid and eHarmony, which have a more extensive profile and are more focussed on long term relationships as opposed to just hookups.
Though you can find the perfect match on Tinder, if you’re just looking for local singles to have some fun with it’s a great choice.
How do I start using Tinder?
If you want to start using Tinder, you can download the mobile app for Android and iOS from the App or Play Store. You can then sign in with an email address or link it to your Facebook account as a form of verification.
Conclusion
Tinder is a free online dating app that matches tens of millions of users on the platform regularly. Though it’s largely used for short flings and one night stands, you can definitely find love on the platform too.
Knowing where you both stand before meeting up is essential for a good dating experience, so this is something that can be discussed beforehand. However, if you’re looking for love, let’s hope that Tinder is the last app you have to download.
