How to Use the Tinder App: Full Guide with Expert Tips

Whether you're new to dating or just haven't done it in a while, the idea of using dating apps may seem daunting. Tinder is a great dating app to start with, as its simple interface, icons, and options are very easy to use. In this article, we'll teach you how to get started with the Tinder app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad–including creating an account, understanding the meaning of Tinder's icons and swiping directions, customizing your profile, and making your first match. We've also included exclusive tips from a dating coach to help you along your journey.

Tinder Icon Meanings: A Visual Guide

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A graphic that shows common icons and symbols from the Tinder app and explains what they mean.

Tap the green heart to like a profile.
Tap the red X to dislike a profile.
Tap the blue star icon to Super Like a profile.
Tap the yellow arrow to undo your last choice.
Tap the purple lightning bolt to boost your profile.
A blue checkmark on a profile means their photos are verified.
A green dot means they're online (or were recently).
A gold heart means the person subscribes to Tinder Gold or Premium.

Section 1 of 6:

Create a Tinder Account

"Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps globally, known for its user-friendly interface and wide-ranging user base," explains dating coach and matchmaker Laura Bilotta.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Laura Bilotta
Dating Coach & Matchmaker

Expert Interview} You can download Tinder for your iPhone or iPad from the App Store, or for Android from the Google Play Store.^{[2]
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Laura Bilotta is a dating coach and matchmaker who's successfully united 65,000+ singles through events and individual coaching. She founded Single in the City, a dating and relationship coaching service based in Toronto.
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Open the Tinder app and tap Create account. Once you've installed the Tinder app, you'll find it on your home screen or in your app list. Tap Create Account to get started.^{[3]
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- Alternatively, if you've signed up for Tinder before, you can tap Sign in, then choose a sign-in option like Sign in with Apple, Sign in with Phone Number, or Sign in with Google.
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Enter and verify your phone number. Type your phone number on the keypad, then tap Next to prompt Tinder to send you a verification code via SMS text message.
- Once you receive your verification code from Tinder, type it into the "Enter your code" screen in the Tinder app, then tap Next to confirm.
Type your email address into the field, then tap Next.
You'll be asked to connect an account to log in faster–if you have an iPhone or iPad, you'll have the option to Continue with Apple. For Android, you'll see Continue with Google. This is totally optional–if you don't want your Google or Apple account linked to your Tinder account, just tap Skip.
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Agree to Tinder's House Rules. Tinder's basic rules are pretty simple, and you'll be expected to follow them. If you're found to violate any of the rules, your account will likely be deactivated. Review the rules on the screen, then tap I agree.^{[4]
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- The rules include making sure your pictures, age, and the information in your Tinder profile are all true to who you are. Don't try to use photos that don't belong to you or lie about your age–you're likely to get caught.
- You must be 18 or older to use Tinder.^{[5]
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Follow the on-screen instructions to create your profile. During setup, you'll be prompted to enter your first name as you'd like it to appear on Tinder, your birthday, gender, orientation, information about what you're looking for, and other personal details. Go through the on-screen prompts to enter this information, upload photos, and finish setting up your Tinder profile. After that, it's time to see who's out there!
- When prompted, you'll need to give Tinder access to your location so it can find matches near you.^{[6]
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- Check out our guide to making a killer Tinder profile, along with these interesting Tinder bio ideas!

Section 2 of 6:

Using Tinder: Swiping & Icon Meanings

"Tinder offers a casual approach to dating, with a focus on swiping through profiles and matching with people based on physical attraction and mutual interest," says Bilotta.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Laura Bilotta
Dating Coach & Matchmaker

Expert Interview} The people you'll see on Tinder are those who fit the preferences and filters you entered, and whose preferences you may also fit. From anywhere in the app, you can start browsing Tinder profiles by tapping the red flame at the bottom-left corner of the app.
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Swipe right or tap the heart icon if you like a Tinder profile. If you see a profile that intrigues you, swiping right is equivalent to "liking" the profile.
- If you both swipe right on each other, you'll be a match! At that point, you can send each other messages.^{[8]
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- You can unmatch someone at any time by tapping the blue shield icon on their profile.
If you aren't interested in matching with this person, swiping left or tapping the X dismisses it. Doing so will prevent the profile from showing up in your Tinder feed again.
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Explore the icons and symbols at the bottom of each profile. You'll see a variety of colorful icons and symbols at the bottom of each Tinder profile. These icons allow you to interact with people's profiles. Here's what each Tinder icon means:
- Undo - If you subscribe to a Tinder Plus, Gold, or Premium plan, you can tap this arrow icon to undo your last swipe.^{[9]
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- Dislike - Tap the pink X icon to dislike/dismiss a profile. You can also swipe left on a profile to perform this action.
- Like - Tap the heart icon to like a profile, which allows you to match with them if they like you back. You can also swipe right on a profile to perform this action.
- Super Like - Tap the blue star icon to Super Like someone, which shows extra interest! You can buy Super Likes in packages in Settings > Get Super Likes. If you subscribe to Tinder Gold or Tinder Platinum, you'll get free Super Likes each week.^{[10]
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- Boost - This purple lightning bolt icon boosts your profile's visibility for thirty minutes. You get one free boost per month.^{[11]
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Navigate the interface intuitively after one read. "As a new Tinder user, I was lost in the app at first. But after reading this guide once, I easily understood the main interface buttons for liking, disliking, and messaging matches. Now, I navigate Tinder intuitively." - Kay B.

Decode profile settings for personalized matching. "I didn’t grasp how to tweak my Tinder age range and other discovery settings when starting out. This breakdown helped me customize those filters to curate the profiles I see for more compatible matching." - Brian S.

Stand out by sending creative opening messages. "I used to just say a basic “hey” to matches, but this encouraged me to come up with fun icebreakers tailored to people’s profiles. Responses increased after putting that extra creativity into my opening lines!" - Jerry N.

Learn the meaning of Super Likes for better connections. "As an overwhelmed beginner, I didn’t get what the special Super Like button did differently. Now that I understand it alerts a match, I use Super Likes sparingly on profiles that really catch my eye to start stronger conversations." - Anurag G.

Did you know that wikiHow has collected over 365,000 reader stories since it started in 2005? We’d love to hear from you! Share your story here.
This is the 4-square icon with a magnifying glass over it at the bottom of the screen. In Tinder Explore, you can check out a variety of interests, like music and food, and explore profiles that have similar tastes to yours. You can interact with profiles in Explore just as you would in your feed.^{[12]
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This will load any conversations you've had with your matches.
Doing so will open your profile, where you can set up your profile options.

Section 3 of 6:

Tinder Profile Symbols

You'll notice some Tinder profiles are marked with colorful symbols. If you see a symbol next to someone's username on Tinder, here's what it means:^{[13]
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- Gold diamond: Tinder has chosen this person as one of your top picks for the day.
- Gold heart: This person subscribes to Tinder Gold or Tinder Platinum.
- Blue star: This person has sent you a Super Like.
- Blue checkmark: This person has verified their photos with Tinder, which involves recording a video to prove they are the person in their photos.^{[14]
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- Green dot: This person is either online right now or has been active in the past 24 hours.

Section 4 of 6:

Customizing Your Profile & Settings

This will display your current Tinder profile, where you can view and update your filters and preferences.^{[15]
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It may say "Edit Info" on the icon.
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Review your current photos. You can do a couple of different things here:
- Tap and drag a photo onto the large photo tile to replace your primary profile photo.
- Tap x in the bottom-right corner of a photo to delete it from Tinder.
- Tap + in the bottom-right corner of a photo box to upload a photo from your phone or from Facebook.
- You can also slide the Smart Photos switch right to allow Tinder to choose a photo for you.^{[16]
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Change your profile. If you want to change the details that appear on your profile, including uploading or deleting photos, and editing your about me/bio, lifestyle, interests, tags, pronouns, height, relationship goals, languages, job, school, current city, gender, and sexual orientation, you can do so by tapping the profile icon (the person), then tapping the pencil icon to edit it.^{[17]
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- When you're finished making changes, tap the back button or save your changes to return to your profile.
It's the gear icon on your profile. From here, you can change the filters and preferences that determine who you see in your Discovery feed, such as your gender preference, the age range that interests you, and your search distance.^{[18]
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Update your Discovery settings. Under the "Discovery" header, you'll find the settings and filters that control who you see in your Discovery feed. These settings affect your Tinder browsing and the kinds of profiles you will see.^{[19]
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- Maximum Distance: Raise or lower the match-making search radius.^{[20]
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- Gender & Sexual Orientation: You can change these options as needed to adjust the genders and preferences of people you'll see in your feed.^{[21]
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- Age Range: Raise or lower the maximum age you're interested in.
- Dealbreakers: If you run out of matches in the Discovery feed, Tinder may show you people who fall just outside your general preferences. If people who fall outside these preferences are dealbreakers for you, you can use this slider to indicate that.
You can also turn your Tinder notifications on and off from the Settings menu. You can customize your preferences for email notifications, push notifications, or both.^{[22]
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Section 5 of 6:

Making a Match

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Wait for a match to occur. If you like (swipe right) someone and they like you back, you have a match! You'll receive a notification, and you'll unlock the ability to send each other messages.^{[23]
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- If Tinder says you "missed a match," it means you swiped left on someone who swiped right on you.^{[24]
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Tap the speech bubble icon to view your messages. This displays your current messages and the people you can send messages to.
- You can't send a message to someone you haven't matched with.
You'll find it on this page, though you can use the search bar at the top of the page to search specifically for a user.
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Write a strong first message. If you are initiating contact with the other person, make sure your opening message is friendly and confident without being creepy. "Be authentic and genuine, and let your personality shine through in your messages," says Bilotta.^{[25]
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Laura Bilotta
Dating Coach & Matchmaker

Expert Interview}
- Break the ice by starting with a question. "Asking a question shows that you're interested in getting to know the other person better and can help keep the conversation flowing," Bilotta says. She recommends starting with a simple question like "What have you been up to lately?" or "Anything exciting happening in your world?"^{[26]
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  Laura Bilotta
  Dating Coach & Matchmaker
  
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- "Making a good first impression requires a combination of effort, sincerity, and engagement," Bilotta says. "By creating a strong profile, initiating an interesting conversation, and being authentic and respectful throughout, you'll be on your way to forming a meaningful connection with someone special."^{[27]
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- Reader Poll: We asked 148 wikiHow readers how they stay safe when meeting up with someone they met online, and 59% said they like to meet in public places until they’re comfortable with their match. [Take Poll]
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Keep the conversation flowing and see where things go. As you get to know one another, focus on building a connection. If you're not sure what to say, Bilotta suggests sharing something about yourself. "Sharing a little bit about yourself can show that you're willing to be vulnerable and can help build a sense of connection. You could say something like 'Just finished a great workout at the gym - I'm feeling energized!' or 'I've been trying to learn how to cook the perfect steak - any tips?'"^{[28]
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Laura Bilotta
Dating Coach & Matchmaker

Expert Interview}
- "A genuine compliment can go a long way," Bilotta adds. "It shows that you're interested in the other person and it can help build rapport." A few examples Bilotta gives are "I've been thinking about your smile all day" or "You always know how to brighten my day."^{[29]
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  Laura Bilotta
  Dating Coach & Matchmaker
  
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- As you get to know one another by chatting on Tinder, you'll (hopefully) get to the point when it's time to set up a date.
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Unmatch with someone. If you decide the person you're talking to isn't a great match, you can unmatch them by tapping the blue shield icon on their profile or by selecting the Safety Toolkit in your conversation.^{[30]
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- Be considerate. It's easy to forget that you're talking to another human being through Tinder, so remember to remain positive, kind, and respectful while interacting with your match.

Section 6 of 6:

Tinder Subscription Options

Tinder's main features are free, but paid features are available. "Tinder also offers a range of paid features, including the ability to undo swipes and access more detailed profile information," explains Bilotta.^{[31]
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Laura Bilotta
Dating Coach & Matchmaker

Expert Interview} Depending on how you want to use the app, Tinder's paid options may be worth it. To see current rates, tap the profile icon in the Tinder app, select Settings, and choose a subscription. The current subscriptions available include:^{[32]
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- Tinder Plus - Unlimited likes and rewinds (undos), the ability to change your location to anywhere in the world, ad-free swiping, and the ability to go incognito.
- Tinder Gold - Everything in Tinder Plus, plus the ability to see who likes you, 10 new daily top picks, free weekly Super Likes, and 1 free boost per month.
- Tinder Platinum - Everything in Tinder Gold, the ability to send a message before you match, and the ability to receive prioritized likes.
1. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time.

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Can I join Tinder if I don't have a Facebook account?

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Yes, you can join Tinder without a Facebook account.

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What can I do if I liked someone by accident?

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If you have Tinder Plus (the paid subscription on Tinder), you can rewind your last swipe.

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How can I tell if a person really liked me?

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He or she would go out their way to talk to you, ask you for favors, start conversations, and hold conversations. It's just the actions of being genuine.

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Avoid using Tinder while on vacation, as it can get backed up with location-specific matches, even after you've returned home.

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