10 Ineffective Dating App Profile Tropes to Avoid in 2022

It’s 2022 and Canadians are feeling optimistic when it comes to love — so, if you’re single and looking for love online, now’s the perfect time to spruce up your dating app profile. From the profile pictures that may be turning potential love interests away to things you should never write on your profile, we’ve rounded up 10 of the dating profile app tropes to steer clear of this year.

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Avoid: Fishy (or fish) photos

Look, we know it’s not exactly easy: how can you convey your complex essence and amazing personality in a swipe-worthy digital package? This is why your profile image choice is a big key to success when dating online. The best place to start? Avoid images that may inadvertently be red flags to potential suitors. As a recent survey conducted by UK dating app POM indicated, one of the top red flags is a profile picture featuring you posing with things like fish (like, literal line-caught fish), cars or endangered animals.

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Avoid: Writing in clichés

When you’re writing your dating app profile, the last thing you want to be is boring, so — in this day and age — stay away from clichés like the plague (see what we mean?). Even if you love walking on the beach, something like “Looking for someone to walk on the beach with” is so overused it’s basically meaningless. Instead, use your dating app profile to show a little personality with honest, funny or unique lines. Not a natural wordsmith? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

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Avoid: Super sexy profile photos — unless you want to

If you’re uncomfortable with ultra sexy photos, but feel pressure to turn up the heat on your dating app profile, we have good news: ultra-sexy photos don’t actually read as more attractive to potential daters, according to a recent study on self-sexualization on dating apps and sites. So, be yourself and choose what you feel like when selecting a photo, and don’t feel like you need a sexy snap to get attention if you don’t want to include one.

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Avoid: Group photos as profile pictures

Another super-common — but less-than-effective — dating app profile standby is using a group photo as your profile picture. Sure, this may show that you have friends or family, but it also makes it hard for people to figure out which person in the photo is you. Because there are seemingly endless profiles for people to peruse online, most people won’t bother to do the detective work to find out which person in the group is you. Keep it simple with solo images in your dating app profile.

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Avoid: Being overly vague

Think that being super vague about who you are and what you’re into on your dating profile will cast a wider net for love? Think again. A vague, generalized profile might not turn off people who don’t share your interests, but it also won’t attract the people who do. So, instead of saying that you “are into music,” be specific about the genres, artists and type of shows you’re obsessed with. You never know who’s out there looking for the exact same thing.

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Avoid: Mentioning your ex

Sure, it’s relatable to be sad (or mad) after a breakup, but talking about a past relationship — or worse, including a photo of you and your ex on your profile, no matter how good you look in it — is going to be a red flag to potential new flames. Leave the past in the past — your romantic future is what’s in front of you.

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Avoid: Acting like you don’t want to be there

From classic profile lines like “I don’t even know why I’m on here, but…” to “Just thought I’d give this a try, might delete later…,” many people have a natural instinct to act a little aloof and like they’re not really interesting in dating apps and online dating… while they’re on dating apps and online dating. However, pretending like you’re too good for it or you’re not into it (when you clearly are, as you’re on the app), can actually be more off-putting than it is cool and mysterious.

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Avoid: Being a downer

Similarly, try to avoid turning to too much sarcasm or irony in your profile. This is a common crutch for many people — putting yourself out there is vulnerable, absolutely — but it can have the opposite effect of what you want. Avoid the overt negativity, and you’re more likely to get a positive outcome.

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Avoid: Straight-up lying

It’s one thing to amplify certain things about yourself in an effort to put your best foot forward on your online dating profile, but it’s another to be disingenuous or false (whether that means lying about who you are or including a super-outdated or heavily filtered profile pic) — and it probably won’t do you any favours or help you achieve what you want, either. In a post-Catfish era, more people are learning to sniff out false profiles. And, should you actually connect with someone based on a foundation of lies, it’s less likely to work out in the long run for you, too.

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Avoid: Oversharing personal information

While it’s important to be open and honest in your dating app profile, it’s also key to balance openness with holding some types of details back. Aside from the potential romantic pitfalls of revealing too much, too soon, online daters should also take steps to protect their privacy and personal safety. Don’t give away too many details about exactly where you live and work for everyone to see, for example.