What Not To Do On A Dating App
Still getting left swiped? Your profile needs an upgrade
“If I see one more shirtless selfie, I am deleting the app.”
In 2025, the dating app fatigue is real, especially if you’re in your late 20s or early 30s. The apps have undergone multiple upgrades, but the men on them? They still need to step up their game.
If you’re looking for love, lust, or anything in between (*cough, situationship, cough*), then it’s time you say no to these online dating faux pas. Because you’re not undateable. But your dating profile might be, if you’re doing these things:
What Not To Do On A Dating App
Get the shirt; lose the crowd!
Shirtless selfies are a thing on dating apps - be it beside the pool, in front of a gym mirror, or even next to a horse. Unless you’re Ishaan Khatter in The Royals, leave the horses alone. It’s good to pay attention to your health. But you can focus on flexing your brain cells along the pecs!
And when it comes to focus, let the focus be on you. Group photos have no role to play on a dating app. Don’t make a person guess who you are in a group. Just post a selfie. Preferably, with a shirt and clear lighting.
Keep your photos recent, not repetitive
Thumb rule for photos? Use recent ones! Catfishing, even unintentionally, is not a good look. And try not to click them all on the same day, in the same outfit? That only makes one believe you had just one good day. As the kids would say, that’s just “sus”.
Photos are the first point of interest for most people on dating apps. Invest a little time in picking the right ones. Ultimately, if you’re lazy or disinterested in picking a photo, you’re going to be perceived like that for everything else, too!
Even boomers aren’t typing ‘lyk dis’. Then why are you?
There was a time when texting was a costly affair. Complete letters? A luxury on SMSes. That’s not the case anymore. So, unless you’re on a nostalgia trip, leave the old texting style where you left your last Nokia phone - in the memory lane.
Clear communication or good grammar are not just preferences. They show you actually care about taking the conversation forward. After all, there’s only so much flirting that can follow a casual, “sup?”, right?
Blank space is for Taylor Swift’s discography, not your bio!
There are few features on a dating app as underutilized as the bio. It may seem like a daunting task to sum up your entire personality in a few short words, but give it a try. Be honest. Be direct. Skip the emojis, flags, and the infamous “ask to know”. And if you need to ask ChatGPT what your bio should be, then it’s time for some inner reflection.
A bio can reflect your personality, and in 2025, that matters a lot more than a cool pose or sharp jawline.
Recycling is great for the environment, not your dating profile
Newsflash: the debate on pineapple on pizza ended a long time ago. As did all the other recycled bios, questions, and cues. It’s time to retire these from your profile. And open the room, and your matches to a more genuine connection.
Dating apps are no longer restricted to a select few. Raya, arguably one of the more exclusive dating apps, crossed 10,000 users in 2018 itself. At the time, it had 100,000 in waiting. If dating apps are a tool of the masses, it means your search for a good partner, a good time, or both, is in intense competition. A good dating profile is the bare minimum at this point.
The bottom line? In 2025, dating is intentional. Your dating profile needs to reflect that, otherwise it’s left swipes all the way.