Post Date: April 12, 2024

Downloading a mobile dating app for the first time can be nerve-wracking. We’re here to help ease the process of navigating with our Tinder guide.

In this Tinder guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about using the dating app Tinder. Learn more about dating guides!

How To Download Tinder Instructions & How to Complete Tinder Profile

Tinder dating app

Are you thinking about using Tinder for the first time? Tinder is available for download on the Apple and Google Play stores. Tinder is also available on tinder.com and can be used in the browser, as we explain here.

To date, the storage needed to download Tinder is 275 megabytes (MB). If you have an iPhone or Android phone with over 1 GB of memory, there will be no issues downloading Tinder to your phone.

Is Tinder Free?

download Tinder for free

Tinder is entirely free to download and requires no payment from the Apple or Google Play stores.

Tinder does have payment plans where users can enhance their Tinder experience. However, this is not mandatory to use the app. This is what gives Tinder an edge over its competitors.

If you want to learn more about why Tinder is free, read our article here

Why Does Tinder Need A Phone Number?

Upon downloading Tinder, you’re going to be presented with a screen to sign up. The difference between Tinder and its competitors is that you’ll need to add a phone number to sign up.

Tinder requires you to enter a phone number for registration to prove that you’re a real person.

In the past, Tinder allowed users to use Facebook profiles and emails to sign up. However, they ran into fake profiles and catfishing, which gave the app a bad reputation.

Tinder has made efforts to make sure every person on the platform is a real person.

Learn more about why you need to enter a phone number here.

Adding Pictures To Tinder Profile Guide

Once you’ve created your profile, it’s important to start adding the right pictures to Tinder.

Remember, your profile pictures and biography are how you’re going to match with other people. One lousy picture or wrong phrase in your bio could turn other users off.

To get the best picture resolution from Tinder, make your pictures 640×640. This is the best resolution for cropping your photos to make sure they’re not blurry. Learn here why your photos are not loading on Tinder.

Tinder Photo Guidelines

Tinder doesn’t allow photos of unaccompanied or unclothed minors, including photos of your younger self–no matter how adorable you were back then.

Other guidelines include no photos of gore, death, images or descriptions of violent acts (against humans or animals), use of weapons, and anything advocating or glorifying self-harm.

How To Swipe Guide to Tinder Tutorial

Now that you’ve added pictures and biography to Tinder, it’s time to start swiping. Tinder uses unique swipe mechanics to match with other users. Below are the basic Tinder rules for swipe.

On Tinder, if you swipe right on a profile, it means that you like their profile. If they also swipe right on your profile, you will talk to that person in the chat queue.

If you or the other person swipes to the left, it means no match will be made. Tinder will not alert the other person that you’ve swiped left or that you’ve been swiped left.

Learn here if you swipe left on Tinder are they gone forever?

How To Chat & Unmatch On Tinder Dating Guide

Once you’ve matched with another person on Tinder, it’s time to start a conversation.

Opening your chat queue, you’ll see a pretty basic chatbox. On the bottom, you’ll see a space where you can enter text.

In the top right corner of the chatbox, you’ll see a shield icon. This is where you will report or unmatch someone on Tinder.

If you are not interested in the other person (which is common), we recommend unmatching them by tapping the shield icon and selecting unmatch.

Learn more about chatting and unmatching on Tinder here

How To Change Distance & Age Range On Tinder User Guide

Tinder gives you the option to choose between different age ranges and distance radiuses.

First, the age range can be adjusted from 18 years old to 99 years old. We recommend putting the slider bar within a 5-year distance of your preferred dating age.

Next, distance should be adjusted based on your travel preferences. If you live in a populated city and don’t have a car, we recommend having a radius under 5 miles.

On the other hand, having your distance radius set to over 20 is appropriate if you don’t mind traveling.

Learn more about setting the age and distance here

What Is Tinder Gold?

Tinder Gold is Tinder’s premium service for users who want to enhance their Tinder experience.

Included in Tinder gold are the following:

  • Unlimited Swiping
  • See Who Likes Your Profile
  • Extra Super Likes
  • Location Change (Passport)

Tinder’s pricing plan on Tinder Gold, as well as how to best use the features, can be found here.

What Is Tinder Platinum?

Tinder Platinum is Tinder’s new premium feature that is an upsell from Tinder Gold. Once you purchase Tinder Gold, you will be displayed a message to upgrade to Tinder Platinum.

Tinder Platinum has the same features as Tinder Gold; however, there are a few more features that you can unlock. These features are:

  • Send a message with each super like
  • Send Prioritized Likes
  • Everything in Tinder Gold

Using Tinder Platinum can help enhance your experience as you’ll be able to connect directly to the person you like, increasing your chances of matching with them.

Learn more about Tinder Platinum Here

What is Tinder Select

Tinder Select is an exclusive membership offered for Tinder users. You get the very best access to the Tinder app. Special perks that you receive include direct messaging to people without matching first, the photos will be unblurred, and a badge that shows off access to the very exclusive tier.

Oh, and Tinder select is invite-only, so if you are invited, you are top tier in Tinder’s eyes. This will show your potential matches that you are worthy of a match.

What Does The Blue Star Mean On Tinder?

Tinder has a feature called a Super Like. This means you like someone’s profile, and you want to get their attention.

While the other user goes through all the people who like them, your profile will be highlighted with a light blue frame.

This helps your profile stand out to the person you super liked. Standing out will hopefully get you more right swipes and improve your Tinder experience.

To learn more about the blue hearts on Tinder, read this article.

What Do The Gold Hearts On Tinder Mean?

The gold hearts on Tinder means that the other user is using Tinder Gold.

When you like someone using Tinder Gold, or you’re liked by someone using Tinder Gold, you will see a gold heart next to the other person’s name.

Read here to learn more about why these Gold hearts will appear next to other profiles’ names.

How To Get Verified On Tinder Tips

Tinder has a verification process that users can prove to other users that they’re real.

We highly recommend you do the verification process, as it will increase your chances of getting swiped right on.

To verify yourself on Tinder, you’ll need to take a picture of a random pose that Tinder shows you.

Take this picture with your camera in the pose that they instruct you to do, and Tinder’s artificial intelligence will check if you’re real or not.

Once Tinder has determined that you’re real, you will have blue checkmarks next to your name. These checkmarks can not be removed or changed from your profile.

Can Tinder verification be faked? Learn more here!

To learn more about getting verified on Tinder, click here.


❤️ Pro Tip: If you’re sick of finding people who are just looking for one-night stands, we recommend trying eHarmony.

It’s one of the highest-rated online dating apps in the world. eHarmony users are actually actively looking for relationships. Give it a try here for free and see if you can tell the difference.

Tinder Guide For Guys & Girls Recap

Is Tinder for Dating or Just for Hookups?

Explore whether Tinder is better suited for dating or casual hookups based on user intentions and the app’s overall dynamics.

How to Get More Matches on Tinder

Expert tips to increase profile visibility and connect with more of your potential matches on Tinder.

How Many Photos Should You Have on Tinder?

Determine the ideal number of photos to make your Tinder profile as compelling as possible.

Why Does Tinder Charge More to Old People?

An analysis of why Tinder employs variable pricing tiers based on user age.

Tinder Passport Guide: How It Works

A walkthrough of Tinder Passport functionalities and strategies for connecting with matches worldwide.

Tinder Notification Settings: How to Customize

Step-by-step instructions for tailoring your Tinder alerts to match your preferences and needs.

Decoding Tinder Icons: Blue Check, Gold Heart, More

A guide to the array of symbols you may see on Tinder profiles and what each icon signifies.

Troubleshooting Tinder Photo Uploads

Effective solutions for resolving issues with adding photos to your Tinder dating profile.

Crafting Standout Tinder Bios

Tips to create compelling and engaging bios for your Tinder profile tailored to guys and girls.

Below you will find articles that will further enhance your experience using Tinder. While everyone has a different experience when using Tinder, there are some things you can do to make your dating life easier.

How to use Tinder for beginners?

The best way to use Tinder for beginners is to download the mobile app or try it on the desktop. After that, you will want to create a bio, set your area, and get swiping. Swipe right on Tinder to say yes, and swipe left for no. You will need to come up with an opening line to send to your matches or let them come to you.

What’s the trick to Tinder?

Here are the tricks to Tinder:
Keep your bio simple.
Let your personality shine in your pictures.
Ensure your photos are of high quality.
Limit the number of group photos.
Remember to smile.
Showcase your top attributes.
Seek feedback.
Maintain a professional appearance.

What are the basic Tinder rules?

Here are the basic Tinder Rules. You will want to refrain from sharing personal details such as your address, card information, location, or financial details with your Tinder match. Only share your phone number when you feel completely at ease.

Exercise caution and take your time when transitioning conversations from the app to other platforms. Promptly report any suspicious or inappropriate behavior encountered during your interactions.

What do Tinder buttons mean?

The Tinder buttons mean interaction with other users’ profiles. From left to right, they perform the following actions: Undo – Tapping this yellow heart on Tinder arrow reverses your last swipe.

A Tinder Plus subscription is required for this feature. Dislike – Tap the red X icon to express dislike for a profile.

About the Author

Julia has over 10+ years in the mobile dating app space as a consultant and analyst. Her work has been featured on top websites like Mashable and Women's Health Mag. She writes these blogs to help singles find their true love and life long companion!