Filtered photos, especially the heavily filtered ones, were voted undesirable by 80% of Hinge users. On the other side, 68% of users voted for clear photos with a visible face to be the most desirable thing among dating profile pictures.
In a survey conducted by Hinge, their users were given a choice of deciding the major pros and cons of dating profile elements. Given that online dating is the most common way of meeting eligible singles, the results gave insight into what makes a good first impression.
Mirror selfies and gym selfies also found their way on the list of dating profile don’ts, getting a dislike by 72% of users. These are especially undesirable if they are made in bathroom mirrors, or if they are low in quality. Only 3% of successful profiles feature a gym selfie, while mirror selfies have a higher presence among successful profiles: 13%.
Group pictures are a separate category of undesirable profile pictures, as they involve a completely new dilemma — who are you, who the other person is, and if it is your ex. As much as 73% of users give up on contacting someone who looks like they keep an ex on their profile.
On the other hand, travel pics, sporty images, and pictures featuring dogs are very likely to increase engagement on your profile. For example, users are 35% more likely to initiate a conversation with a person who posted a pic of their dog.
