Guide to the Tinder - The Algorithm
Want more tinder matches? Easy. This can be boiled down to TWO main points.
1. Be attractive
2. Don't be unattractive
Jokes aside, many of you are likely to be trying your luck on the Tinder game. Whether you are looking for that someone right, or a mass swiper, the Tinder algorithm treats everybody equally and fairly so we all have an even chance at getting that fateful much... Or does it?
You may not realise it, but Tinder is judging you. Every person you swipe, every picture you upload, match you message, and bio you write is all thrown into a churning machine of numbers, an algorithm which spits out what is referred to within the company as the ELO score. At its core, its a simple scaled voting system. Someone with a high ELO swipes right on you? You get a lot more points than if it was someone sitting near the bottom of the barrel. This means you are desirable.
Basics of the number system
The score system isn't so simple as "I like you, you like me, here's some points", but it can be explained in a similar way. For instance, lets say the system works on a 1-10 scale of attractiveness. You've been determined to be a 3 on that said scale, so, you'll often be shown to people on the 2-4 end of that scale, rarely to anything outside of those numbers. The numbers don't stop there either. The actual calculating of the main portion of your personal score more or less runs like this:
- How many pictures you're shown
- % of everyone you like
- % of everyone who likes you
- % of people who like you back
- The score of those people
New kids on the block
Just made a snazzy new Tinder account? Suddenly you're flooding with likes and matches for the first few days... and then none. Nothing. You go weeks without a single like. What gives? Similar to the paid boost feature of Tinder, new accounts get a nice boost, showing their profile to more potentials in the area, whilst simultaneously calculating your ELO score. The boost runs its course over 2 or so days, which is when you end up with your fresh ELO score, and a sudden drop off of matches.
The score can be changed, but it takes time
The aforementioned score is able to be changed over time through changing your bio or pictures, but when I say time, I mean a damn long time. This is often find many reset accounts, wondering why they're coming up on your profile again even though you've given them the flick before.
Don't throw your net too wide... Or too short
Tinder appear to penalise those who have a bit of a trigger finger when it comes to swiping, and those who only like once in a blue moon. Although, it does appear that the over-swipers are penalised harder than those who under-swipe. Furthermore, this system is disabled when you have paid boosts running, and total swipes greater than 2000 an hour (however any human can manage that), will get you locked out as a bot for 12 hours. The "prime" zone appears to sit around the 30% - 70% like ratio to improve your chances.
Activity
Ever given Tinder the rest, thinking "I'll check back after a week and surely I'll having some likes!" Wrong. Periods of inactivity gradually worsen your score, till you're basically invisible to all those around you! So make sure you give Tinder the occasional few swipes to keep the system happy.
Send something... Anything!
Never leave your matches without a message, as Tinder takes this as a nice whack to your score. Even if you don't particularly have any intention of taking a match further, send them a message to improve your own likelyhood of getting a match you do desire.
That wraps up all the tricks of the trade when it comes to playing the Tinder algorithm. Great! Now how do I actually get a good score when I have my noob boost rolling? That'll be covered later in a more in depth, "How to actually be attractive on Tinder" guide.