“Swipe Left” Explained

Face to face, telling someone who’s flirting with you “no” can feel awkward. Online, though, a quick swipe to the left does the job.

Made popular by dating apps such as Tinder, this easy motion lets you signal in a second that you’re not interested in someone new. You never have to justify passing on a profile, and the other person has no idea how many people turned them down.

Does swiping actually get results, though?

Tinder certainly says so. The app claims its swiping game leads to 1.5 million Tinder dates each week. Small wonder, then, that most online dating apps have adopted swiping as the way to make matches.

Below, we look at how swiping works, how to swipe smarter, and what the future may hold for finding love online.

How the Swipe Works

Most singles are busy juggling a demanding career and a full social calendar. Throw in hours of commuting, and working singles hardly get time to relax after the office, never mind hours spent hunting for a partner.

This explains the appeal of dating sites and apps: swiping takes very little time or effort.

Swiping is Fast Paced

People typically give a dating profile under a minute (frequently under 10 seconds) before moving on to the next.

Some people find swiping relaxing. At the end of a long day, you can kick back with Netflix and swipe away. Sizing people up from a distance is fun, and once you match, you can chat to find out whether the vibe is right.

A few of your matches might ask you out for coffee, and voilà, you’ve landed a date without leaving your couch.

Algorithms Reinforce Like Patterns

Every app wants to keep its users around as long as it can. So most algorithms are built to figure out what you enjoy and serve up more of it.

Singles spend less than a minute (often less than 10 seconds) looking at a dating profile before swiping to the next one.

On dating apps, the algorithm studies your behavior, preferences, and interactions, then recommends profiles similar to the ones you picked before. The hope is that anyone who enjoys the suggestions will keep using the app.

These clever systems also tailor the experience to you. Put your YouTube account next to your dad’s, for instance: your recommended videos are probably quite different, based on what each of you likes.

There’s Always Another Profile Waiting

When a database holds millions of users, meeting all of them is impossible, let alone talking to them. Online daters aren’t trying to connect with the whole crowd anyway; they want the one person who fits. That’s where filters help, since they shrink your pool of matches.

Once you hit it off with someone new, set up that first coffee date soon. Seeing each other face to face tells you more than weeks of chatting.

Still, even when everything seems to line up, dating apps may not work out for you. If so, switch to other services, adjust your photos and bios, or loosen your filters to widen your dating pool.

4 Ways to Swipe Smarter

How you swipe plays a big part in how well online dating goes for you. These tips can raise the odds that someone swipes right on you:

1. Make Your Profile Pop

Make your main profile picture a selfie that shows you smiling at the camera. Add a blend of close-ups, full-body photos, and shots of you out and about.

• Skip masks and sunglasses in your photos.
• Choose upbeat wording that shows what you love about life.
• Update your photos and bio often so your profile stays fresh.

Write a bio that shows off your personality and interests and says what you want from the app. Stuck on what to write? Have AI draft a simple version, then adjust it until you like it.

2. Remember, It’s a Numbers Game

I once believed dating sites and apps were magic wands for finding love. Six months on Bumble taught me that matching with someone is the easy part; landing a date is harder.

You have to chat with lots of people, since only a few may agree to meet for a coffee date. Out of 50 people I talked to, just four turned into coffee dates.

Online dating really is a numbers game, and it takes a lot of persistence.

Each extra profile you swipe through improves your odds of finding a compatible match. Chat with enthusiasm and trust your judgment to tell whether you’re clicking.

3. Give a New Person a Chance to Surprise You

Swiping has one fatal flaw: it encourages snap judgments.

If your current dating pool isn’t turning up good matches, we suggest opening yourself up to different types of people.

Taking a chance on someone new can make dating go better. When you spend time with a person, notice how they make you feel.

For a long-term relationship, look for someone loyal and dependable who makes you feel safe.

4. Don’t Get Discouraged & Give Up

A handful of rejections or matches that fizzle can easily wear you down. Keep at it anyway. These tips can help you stay the course in your search for love online:

• Read success stories from online dating. Hearing from people who found their partner online can be inspiring, and their experiences may motivate you to keep swiping.
• Treat each match as a lesson. Any interaction teaches you something, even when no date comes of it. The more you swipe, the sharper your online dating skills get.
• Test a few platforms to see which you like best. One bad experience on a single app isn’t a reason to quit early.

Keep a positive attitude through the highs and lows of online dating. Some singles really do find success this way, and it only takes a bit of patience and persistence.

Where Online Dating Is Headed: Your Questions

Our dating experts see plenty of reasons for optimism about where swipe apps are going. Here are a few developments worth watching.

Will Online Dating Burnout Kill Swiping?

Lots of users hit online dating burnout after long stretches of meeting new people, swiping, and messaging. If your dating app starts to feel like a chore, burnout may be setting in.

Frustrating or not, swiping culture isn’t going away soon, according to our dating experts. Some users may grow weary of online dating, but a fresh wave of first-timers always arrives, and they find it thrilling because it’s all new to them.

If you’ve started to resent online dating, try these tips:

• Step away now and then. Delete the app for a bit if it helps you feel better.
• Keep your expectations realistic. Remember that your matches are people you don’t know yet, so don’t ask too much of them early on.
• Put quality ahead of quantity.

Swiping right on tons of people is easy, but saying yes to everyone without a second thought may leave your inbox full of chats you don’t enjoy much. Be choosy and deliberate when you tap that like button.

Can AI Tools Offer Better Support & Recommendations?

As technology races ahead, artificial intelligence (AI) could improve the experience for people dating online. Dating apps today already offer better profiles, propose conversation starters, and even spot patterns so they can give users what they want.

Features powered by AI can also help when questions come up. Most of us know chatbots and virtual assistants that respond fast and offer advice online.

Just keep in mind that nothing beats a real connection. When you do connect with someone, be yourself.

If they turn out not to like your personality, that still beats faking who you are just to land a relationship.

Is Video the Saving Grace of Swipe Life?

Online dating scammers remain a problem. Their catfishing profiles keep getting more convincing, and they’re hurting online dating’s reputation.

Video calls are one way to fight back against fake profiles, and many of the big names in online dating offer them. On top of that, you don’t need to swap phone numbers to video chat.

Posting a brief intro video of yourself can also help draw in matches.

A video call lets people see how you speak and carry yourself more naturally.

Give Cynicism a Left Swipe

Tinder’s swipe changed how we approach strangers romantically. Some people may lose their appetite for swiping, and for leaving their dogs at home to go on yet another coffee date that goes nowhere.

Online dating isn’t dead, though. As technology keeps moving, the Next Big Thing may be just around the corner, ready to breathe new life into the scene. Tired of swiping? Explore other ways to meet new people. Your person is out there; you just need to find them. Good luck!