Dating app profiles: A definitive guide to making yours stand out

It's 2019, and there are people on Cher's green earth whose dating app profiles consist solely of a grainy group photo and that one quote from The Office.

Nothing against that beloved show, but let's be real: Are you really projecting the best version of yourself when the only words on your bio are "'You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take' - Wayne Gretzsky - Michael Scott?"

Probably not.

SEE ALSO: Don't Make These Tinder Mistakes

Let's also acknowledge the fact that once you put yourself out in the digital hellscape of online dating, anyone can take a screenshot of your profile and send it around to various group chats. So you might as well make it look good!

We get it. It's rough out there. But with a few simple tips, you can create a profile for almost any dating app that anyone would swoon over.

1. Ditch the blurry group photos

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Look, it's great that you have friends. Wonderful, actually! Having a support system and a social circle is freaking attractive. At the same time, though, you're only making it difficult for your potential matches by having a profile full of group photos. Which one are you? Who knows!

Swiping shouldn't be a game of Where's Waldo. Don't make your matches guess who you are — make your first profile photo on a dating app a picture of just you. Not you and your roommates, but you.You're hot. You deserve it!

That doesn't mean you should clear your profile of group photos entirely. Just make it a bit easier for the people you're swiping on to know who they'reswiping on.

2. For a good profile photo, look for good lighting and skip the glasses

A good selfie is all  about that sweet, sweet natural light. Credit: Zachary Drucker/the gender spectrum collection

A good selfie is allabout the lighting.

How do celebrities and influencers manage to look so good all the time? They all take photos in great lighting — sure they have conventional attractiveness, a team of makeup artists, and in some cases thousands of dollars worth of plastic surgery, but if you know how to look for the light, you're bound to make your matches swoon.

Natural light, especially during golden hour, will soften your features and make your glow. You'll look nice and warm, which is honestly ideal for dating.

And according to an analysis done by Tinder, wearing accessories that obstruct your face — like sunglasses, regular glasses, and hats — can decrease your chance of being swiped right on by 15 percent.

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Skip the glasses and look for that sweet sliver of daylight right before the sun sets, and you're good to go.

3. Avoid the awkward cropped ex-couple photos

You don't think the crop is obvious, but ... the crop is obvious. Credit: zachary drucker/the gender spectrum collection

You don't think the crop is obvious, but let us tell it to you straight: The crop is obvious.

Take this lovely photo of a couple above — that's pure adoration right there. But imagine if one of the people in it was cropped out; you'd be able to tell that there was another person sitting on the couch, and it would just be awkward.

There have to be better photos of you out there than thatone of you and your ex, right? If not, take a new one. If you're on a dating app, it's probably time to let go of your past loves and make room for new ones, and that means avoiding the awkward cropped photo.

Statistics from Hinge say that people who use candid photos get 15 percent more likes than those who used posed photos, and bathroom selfies are liked 90 percent less.

If you're looking for a new boo, keep it natural and skip the mirror selfie. And definitelypass on The One Photo of you and your ex, even if you look good.

4. Keep your bio interesting

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Tinder's height verification feature may have been just an April Fools' Day joke, but there's still plenty of pressure to list your height on dating apps. If you don't, that's great! If you do, that's also great, but stop making your height your only characteristic.

You have to have a personality outside of just being 6'2", right? List your hobbies, your favorite movies, or your names for your future pets.

Giving a few details is good, but avoid writing your entire life story in your profile bio. When listing your favorites, keep it contained. You don't want to overwhelm your potential matches with every single aspect of your personality. The goal is to find a happy medium and give them something that'll ease you into a conversation.

5. Be honest when you strike up conversations

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The Venn diagram of people on dating apps who like hiking, dogs, and The Officeis just a circle.

If the thought of sweatily dragging yourself up a mountainside makes you itchy, or if you're lowkey more of a cat person anyway, then be honest. You don't need to indulge complete strangers by talking about topics you have no interest in — just because you match with someone who's just like everyone else on Hinge or Tinder doesn't mean you have to trap yourself in a one-sided conversation.

That's not to say that you should be a dick and only talk about yourself, but at the same time you don't need to drag out a conversation that you don't want to be in. There are probably more compatible people out there for you, anyway.

6. Get your friends to look over your profile

You'll probably make less of a fool of yourself if you get a friend to look over your profile! Credit: Getty Images

It doesn't hurt to have a second (or third, or fourth) set of eyes to look over your profile.

You may think you know your best angles, but getting an outsider's perspective can definitely help. Your friends know what you really look like, and can help you curate a more authentic version of you than the you might be able to.

SEE ALSO: Jokey Tinder profiles are ruining the internet (and online dating, for that matter)

Plus, friends can proofread your profile and save you from an embarrassing dating faux pas. Your pals can let you know that a reference is problematic or that you probably shouldn't mention the time you got messy drunk as a first impression. Kick those red flags to the curb and keep yourself in check.

Now that you have this information, go out and swipe!

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