Mystery of Tinder

Tinder has always been a bit of mystery, especially when it comes to how the algorithm works.

But not anymore!

In this blog post, we will explain how Tinder’s algorithm works in 2022 and how you can use this information to get more matches!

Understanding the Basics: ELO Scores

The ELO Score was originally invented to help improve chess-rating games and tournaments. It measures a person’s skill relative to other players.

These days the rating system is used in association football, American football, basketball and other major league’s to determine match outcomes.

Virtually all social tech companies have integrated the algorithm to determine what gets seen, what doesn’t in someone’s feed.

Improving your ELO score

The more people that swiped right ‘’Yes! I Like’’ the more your score will improve and the more chance there will be of you matching with someone of the same league.

Every time you swipe right you are saying ‘’ This person is more desirable than other people’’.

This can also be seen as an attractiveness score, although tinder has tried to object this notion.

In March 2019, Tinder published a blog post explaining that this Elo score was “old news” and outdated, paling in comparison to its new “cutting-edge technology.”

Having Good pictures is everything!

Did you know that one of the main reasons for Tinder showing you ”low quality” profiles mainly due to your own quality of pictures.

Having a great pictures makes a lot of sense as that is the first thing a user sees when swiping on your profile!

As seen down below in the before and after picture, we can clearly see the difference in quality of the pictures.

Taking your time and planning to take a picture will lead to a lot more likes than just taking a quick selfie!

In the picture above we can see that the subject is fully in focus and the colors are warm and inviting.

Which one would you rather swipe to?

Algorithm picture Case study

In the beginning of this year we conducted a case study using the photo’s we showed above.

We made one profile using the old picture as the main profile picture and one profile with the new main profile picture.

In the graph down below we can see the total amount of likes the old profile gained in a case study in February 2021. We can see a slight bump around 14 February due to Valentines day.

Obviously the total amount of likes for our first profile was quite low as expected!

 

Moreover, we wanted to know how the new profile will perform with two new pictures.

The main profile picture was the one with a nice blurry background. The second photo was a fun photo at the beach.

We kept the third profile picture with a friend.

Instantly, we see a huge improvements, as seen in the graph below!

Again, a significant bump around the 14th of February took place in the number of likes due to Valentine’s day.

Tinder even has an option to select the most attractive picture to show for you.

Tinder published in article that they don’t store a person’s features such as skin and hair color. They do however store swipe behaviour.

Information Tinder Stores

If you like a specific type of women or men, Tinder will store that information so you are more likely to be shown to a similar people with the same features.

This is possible due to the fact that Tinder store’s people in similar groups, for instance:

men who swipe right on particular woman who happens to have blond hair.

How to Hack the Tinder Algorithm [real examples]

We have seen what the scoring system of Tinder is all about.

Now, it’s time to go through some hacks on how to effectively gain tons of likes by increasing these variables that effect the algorithm!

Tinder Hack 1: Tinder Location, location, location

Firstly, changing your location will effectively reset you score. Using the passport feature tinder provides can be one option.

However, we recommend using a 3rd party such as Itools for Iphone to actually change the GPS of your phone.

Reset the Tinder Algorithm

This way, you will reset the algorithm and you will be shown to everyone again.

Furthermore, another benefit of using a 3rd party app is that tinder users will see the distance the 3rd party tool generated to them and not your actual location.

Finally, when travelling out of town this can come in very handy to have your location constantly fixed.

Algorithm Tinder Hack 2: Upgrade you Tinder Photos

Secondly, having clear high definition photos is a must if you want to see any kind of results.

You should have between 3-5 pictures with your main picture being a good portrait shot of your face. In our guide of the perfect tinder photos we explain how to get the best pictures for the best results.

Here you will find our detailed post explaining step by step on how to take the perfect profile pictures and get tons of likes!

Algorithm Tinder Hack 3: Tinder Messaging behaviour

Thirdly, Tinder detects suspicious messaging behaviour.

Clearly, using an like an auto-liker will definitely increase the chances that you might get banned or shadow banned (see here for the top 5 symptoms of being shadow banned and how to fix it).

Messaging people as soon as you match and replying on time definitely will help you improve your score!

 

Algorithm Tinder Hack 4: Make use of smart photo’s

This one is very much overseen by the majority of people. Tinder will select your best photo to be shown first.

This can be a huge advantage to welcome people to see your profile with a strongest picture first based on Tinder’s software.

To conclude, with the above steps, we have answered the question ”how does the tinder algorithm work”?

Tinder Algorithm 2022 versus Tinder Algorithm 2021

Compared to the Tinder algorithm 2021, the Tinder Algorithm 2022 will most likely come with multiple updates every few months.

Tinder has a skillful data team in place to fix the latest bugs and work on new improvements. Stay tuned with us for the latest updates.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Tinder algorithm?

The Tinder algorithm is a system that calculates how good or bad each user is in order to create a fair match.

It is based on the ELO score, which stands for ‘Expert League Operating’.

The ELO score takes into account two factors: how many likes you give out

What are Tinder algorithm’s non-factors?

Tinder’s algorithm does not take into account your age, sex, or interests.

These factors play no role in determining who you match with.

How does Tinder algorithm use my profile data?

The Tinder algorithm uses your profile information such as age, gender, location and interests to match your personality type with other people’s personalities types.

For example, if someone is into sports then their likes will include things like football or basketball games while those who have no interest at all may never see sport-related posts pop up on their feed even though they’re located in a city with a major league team.

Tinder also takes into account how often you open the app, how long you spend on it and what type of content you like or dislike;

this helps them to better target potential matches for you.

What are the official factors in the Tinder algorithm?

The Tinder algorithm has several factors that it takes into account when trying to match two people together.

These include, but are not limited to:

• how often you use the app,

• what type of content you like or dislike,

• how long you spend on the app and

• your ELO score (which is calculated by taking into account the attractiveness of your profile picture(s) and the number of likes you have received).

Keep in mind that these are just some of the official factors; there may be others that Tinder does not disclose due to privacy reasons.

More Handy Tinder Guides