If you’re using a dating app or thinking about using one, you are likely looking to meet your true love, or someone to have some fun with for a night or a week. But how do you know who’s legit and who’s not? We’ve gathered these dating app red flags to save you time and help you avoid interacting with people who are bad news.
They Post Shirtless Gym Photos
You’re in shape and spend hours at the gym every day—we get it. But if they have multiple shirtless gym selfies, that’s going too far. One is plenty. You’re better off finding someone with a wider set of interests than simply looking buff. This also goes for fish pictures. Stop fish pictures.
They Only Post Group Photos
If your potential love interest or hookup doesn’t have one photo of them by themselves, that could be a red flag. Yes, it’s great that they have friends, but a selfie can convey a lot of information and shows they took the time to focus on their best qualities, rather than just jumping into a group shot while out partying.
They Have Extremely Specific Requirements
Knowing what you want in the dating arena is good. Looking for tall men or athletic women is one thing; only looking for men over six feet tall who have blue eyes and drive BMWs, or athletic women who always wear red lipstick and cook every meal from scratch is another. Being so specific that probably only one person in the entire world could possibly fit all your supposed must-haves is not. Anyone that picky on their dating profile is likely to be a nightmare in real life. On the other hand, you don’t necessarily want to date someone whose message is, essentially, “I like everyone.” Nobody’s that open-minded. A happy balance is key.
Their Photos Look Too Familiar
If you raise an eyebrow when you swipe on their profile and think, I’ve seen them before, that’s a major red flag. They could very easily be using a stock photo, and while that person may be attractive, it’s not the person you’re actually interacting with. Try running a reverse image search if you suspect this is the case.
They Sound Too Good to Be True
They’re a wealthy prince or princess but also volunteer at an animal hospital and always look amazing night and day and want to set you up with a life of luxury where you don’t have to lift a finger? They’re a total dreamboat who has a perfect job, perfect house, no baggage, and no flaws? If they just seem too perfect, you may be dealing with someone who isn’t all that they seem.
Their Profile Is Too Generic
Just as you don’t want someone who has no opinions, you also don’t want someone who doesn’t seem to have a personality at all. This is the kind of person who doesn’t have a favorite color, food preferences, and will let (aka, make) you pick every vacation spot. It’s better to find someone with a little life in them, even if you disagree at times, than someone who just wants to blend into a crowd, or a relationship.
They Can’t Spell
Anyone can make a typo or two. But if every sentence of theirs is riddled with spelling errors to the point that you can barely follow what they’re trying to say, that’s a red flag. After all, that’s what spell check is for!
They Message You with One Word
“Hi.” “Sup?” “Hot.” Any one-word opening message, unless you’ve specifically asked for it, shows a major lack of effort on their part. Proceed with caution if you proceed at all.
They Clearly Haven’t Read Your Profile
You took the time to carefully craft your dating profile, offering clues about what you’re into and who you are. If their message sounds like it’s a generic one they copy and paste to dozens of people a day, they’re not worth a second of your time. They should ideally mention something from your profile to show you they took the time to read it and had a specific reason for contacting you.
They Set Off Your Ick
Sometimes, there’s no official reason that you can point to, but something is telling you they’re not the one for you. Listen to that feeling. Your subconscious just may know something the rest of you doesn’t (yet). It’s better to be safe than sorry. Why waste your time with someone you’ll be nervous about meeting in real life?
