r/OnlineDating • • Jan 20 '24

RULES Update...Read before posting or commenting!

50 Upvotes

As the amount of spam, nonsense posts, unnecessarily rude comments, etc. has increased and we've been banning 15-20+ users a day, we felt it was a good time to review some of the rules and guidelines for posting and commenting here. PLEASE note, like in most other large subs, violating these rules typically results in a permanent ban...they are clearly posted here, please do not send us a modmail after the fact saying you did not know the rules, we spend countless hours moderating the sub, we don't need to work even harder because you couldn't take a few minutes before posting to read the rules.

First off, since this is a common modmail issue we get: NOTICE FOR NEW USERS: We use automod to filter out new accounts and those with low karma due to the number of new accounts being used to create rule-breaking posts. If you are a new user or have low karma and your post or comment does not appear you likely do not have enough karma or enough days on reddit. Please wait until you have been on reddit and built up karma.

NEW!: After reviewing the results of a poll users of this sub took, the majority wanted a length limit on posts, with the two most voted options being 600 characters and 1,500 characters. Therefore, we are going to implement a 1,200 character posting limit and we will adjust this as needed in the future. The purpose of this sub is for people to ask questions about online dating, not to write lengthy unreadable novels or to use this sub as a diary. 1,200 characters should be plenty to summarize the question, while keeping it short enough and to the point that others actually read it. Do NOT circumvent this rule by continuing a post in a comment, posting a screenshot of a question, linking elsewhere to a lengthy question, etc. Doing so will result in a ban.

With that said when posting here, there are a few things you should think about:

A. First, is this post relevant to online dating, this is a place of encouragement and support for online dating users, not a place to bash online dating, ask about things irrelevant to online dating, or go off on a rant, post question after question after question in a short period of time, etc.

B. Second, will this post help the community. This is a community-minded forum, not your personal soap box or diary. Posts should be questions that are beneficial to the community and help others learn...posts that are simply rants, have no purpose, serve no point, appear more like a diary entry or don't ask a relevant question shouldn't be posted here. Posts should form a question that users can answer.

C. Third, please do not ask nonsense, silly or unanswerable questions. Questions should be things random strangers can give an informed opinion on...asking why a match hasn't replied, why you can't get matches, why someone blocked you, etc. should be avoided as no one here can answer why a random stranger isn't interested in you.

D. Fourth, this is not a dating sub, a make friends sub or a profile review sub. This is not the place to seek dates or friends or to have your dating profile reviewed.

When commenting here, there are a few things you should think about:

E. First, please be respectful with your comments. Other users may have different opinions, but please be considerate. This is especially true for top-level comments...please do not antagonize people who have posted a top-level comment just because you disagree with it.

F. Second, we try to be fair and equal to everyone, however we seem to have a number of users who call users names, call another user sexist or misogynist, etc. This is not acceptable.

G. Third, comments should give an opinion relevant to the post or answer the question in the post. Comments which don't directly answer the question should be avoided.

In addition to the above, some of more important rules to remember are as follows:

  1. The purpose of this sub is to discuss online dating...issues with apps, questions about app or dating experiences, questions about profile setup, questions about dating experiences, etc. It is NOT a sub to find dates or to post your dating profile. This sub would be cluttered as could be if everyone were to post looking for dates, additionally, it's unlikely many people on here would be anywhere near you geographically anyway.

  2. Similarly, do NOT post referral links, surveys, affiliate links, ask for referrals, promote yourself, spam, etc. This is not the place to ask for or post your links to join a dating site, referrals to a dating app, etc. This is not the place to promote yourself, your business, your app, your subreddit, your website, etc. Absolutely no surveys, school surveys, research questions, research polls, school research, etc. No questions pertaining to starting a new app/website, research for a new app/website, etc.

  3. Please be considerate of others and their opinions. It's understandable that different users may have different views and that is fine, but there have been a few "troll" accounts that have gone around doing nothing but posting rude comments for no real reason. This will not be tolerated. Be considerate of others, avoid foul language, do not antagonize or call others names and avoid being rude to others. Additionally, while it is wonderful if you make friends here, please be mindful of other users privacy...many post on here for opinions and comments, not to make friends or find a date. Please do not ask posters to "DM" you or provide you with their contact information, etc. Many users are not interested in corresponding outside of the sub and that should be respected.

  4. Posts here are open to all users to answer. Please do not attempt to limit what users may answer. Posts that state "women only," "men only," "older daters only" etc. are not acceptable.

  5. No guides, articles, tips and tricks, unnecessary links or how-tos. This is not the place to post guides, opinion pieces, advice, tips and tricks, articles, essays, advice columns, etc. This is not the place to simply link to a news article or other website. Additionally, posts should not be needlessly long or appear more like an essay than a question.

  6. No nonsense, silly or unanswerable questions. Posts here should ask a question that a random stranger would be able to answer. Questions that a stranger can not be reasonably expected to answer such as "Why did my match block me?" "Why didn't my date want to meet again?" "Why don't I get matches" "Should I use dating apps?" "What is the best app to use?" "Is OLD a good idea?" etc. should not be asked.

  7. Similar to #6, posts should be a question which have some purpose or point. While complaining is one thing, if your post is better suited for r/rant, it will probably be removed. Posts which are nothing but venting or ranting or appear more like a diary entry may be removed.

  8. Similar to #7, if you don't have good experiences with or don't like online dating, fine. However, as this is r/onlinedating, we like to have a welcoming and open atmosphere towards online dating, not to scare people away from it. Posts saying that online dating sucks, is terrible, shouldn't be used, that people should "get outside and get off online dating," etc. should not be made. Likewise, repeatedly making these types of comments also is not acceptable. An occasional comment here or there that is critical about online dating is fine, but this is a sub to support and help people who use online dating, not to discourage them.

  9. No antagonizing users who post top level comments. If someone posts a top-level comment and you have a differing opinion, please respect their comment. You can post your own top-level comment, however 'picking a fight' and antagonizing someone else for their own opinion in a top-level comment should be avoided.

  10. No "one and done profile reviews" or help make my profile posts. In general the idea of the sub is to be a place that others can learn from and a place that benefits others and not just the OP. In that spirit and because of the number of people that have been posting "profile review" posts or asking for help creating a profile, in general these are not allowed. These posts clutter the sub, are beneficial only to the OP and in many cases it is the only post the OP makes here.

  11. This is not an AMA or sex sub. This should go without saying, but this is not an AMA sub for you to brag about how you got 500 dates in a month, etc. There are other subs dedicated to AMA's. Likewise, with the nature of online dating it is understandable that some sexual things may be mentioned in a post, however this should be limited to brief basic relevant details...there should be no in-dept sexual discussion nor should the post read more like a fantasy novel then a post relevant to the sub. Posts should be closer to PG then to R.

  12. No politics. This is not a political subreddit...and unfortunately any time anyone asks a question even slightly political related everyone acts like children with rude, crude and unnecessary language toward the political views or party they don't support. Further many posters are asking thinly veiled questions which appear designed more to stir the pot than for anything actually related to online dating. As such, no political posts, no political comments, no putting down parties or views you don't agree with.

  13. Moderator Discretion. This is not one we wanted to add, but due to the number of banned users who modmail us and argue that what they did doesn't perfectly fit one of the rules we are going to add that the mods here have discretion as to if a post or comment is allowed or not and to ban or warn users.

Sorry for the length, but with the amount of posts and comments we've had to remove, we want to be clear what is acceptable here. If you have a question, please ask. With all that being said, WELCOME! Thanks for stopping by. And if you feel something violates the rules, remember to hit the REPORT button!


r/OnlineDating • • 23h ago

Would you send a second message if they'd not read the first one? Months ago?

18 Upvotes

Even typing this I realise how pathetic it sounds. So I matched with someone months ago. They actually had looked at my profile and not liked it (fair enough!!!) but I decided to still shoot a shot and liked them. To my surprise they actually then matched. So I sent the initial message, and ... silence of a thousand crypts.

The message never got opened or read and just now I was clearing out my inbox and thought "....shall I? Does that look desperate? (Yes) but I do still like them and their bio is fascinating (yes)."

I don't want to bother or harass anyone but if there's a chance they didn't even see or realise the message had landed... idk.

Thanks!


r/OnlineDating • • 19h ago

How do i know if someone is flirting romantically or platonicly.

2 Upvotes

Im a gay man and met this guy online. He started flirting after we talked for awhile and a day later he sent a message telling me he was flirting. My doubt about whether its romantic comes from him saying that he's really friendly with people. I mean he compliments me and the last time we hung out he said he really enjoyed spending the day talking and playing games with me. Any advice would be helpful because im not good at picking up signs and dont wanna say anything and mess up a friendship.


r/OnlineDating • • 15h ago

Liking an old camp counselor?

1 Upvotes

I (27M) saw my old counselor from summer camp on hinge and am tempted to like her despite the seven year age gap. I'm almost certain that she remembers me, so I'm not sure how to approach it. Regardless, I'm worried about perception because we have a lot of acquaintances in common. In a prior life, I would've downed a couple of beers and just done it. Any advice on how to proceed?


r/OnlineDating • • 1d ago

Deleting and remaking Hinge account now that Fresh start is gone?

5 Upvotes

So I’ve had a bit of a dry spell on Hinge and want to start from a clean state. I’ve never used the Fresh start feature when it was still a thing but apparently now it’s gone. Is the only way to truly have a “fresh start” to delete and remake profile after 90 days?


r/OnlineDating • • 1d ago

Other Dating sites to try? I (45M) Been on the following for 4 years and nothing.

9 Upvotes

I have been on the following: Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Match, OKCupid, HotorNot, ChristianCafe, eHarmony, Altscene, Christian Mingle, Mingle2, CDFF, Freedating, for 4 years now and so far not one date or even a conversation online.

I've had about 10 matches over them all and almost all of them have been scams or no one replies.

I am a photographer so put reasonable quality photos of myself up and it didn't help.

Is there any other sites I could try that don't cost the earth where I have a better chance of at least speaking to a woman?

EDIT: To those saying my profile is the issue it might be but then I have a friend who is only on Tinder and his profile is pretty much blank, only his photos and he gets multiple matches and has had dates of at least 5 girls on Tinder in the last couple of years. There must be a site/app that is a better match for me.


r/OnlineDating • • 1d ago

Why is it hard to match for WLW?

5 Upvotes

I’m new to the dating scene (never had time nor money) and have downloaded a couple to try and see if I can meet someone. However I realized quickly that I’m not getting a lot of traction and I don’t know why?

I’m using Tinder, Hinge, and was on Her and I would start my profile I would get a CRAP ton of likes (I’m no model by any means, but I would have 10+ likes/interactions every couple of hours from men). But the second I would filter to only women/set bio to lesbian and indicate that I’m only interested in women, I would get ZERO traction. And if I did it was either 1) a man pretending to be a woman, which I’ve had happen twice. 2) or someone wildly out of my filtered presences, but the apps would just ignore my filters and show me these profiles anyway? What gives? Is there a better app I need to be using for lesbian relationships or something else? I’m not paying for a dating app I think that’s beyond dumb but isn’t the whole point of these apps is to help you match with other people of similar interests?


r/OnlineDating • • 2d ago

Why do guys asking for a picture of you if you offer to video chat?

3 Upvotes

I understand that people do not want to be catfish, but I don’t understand why a guy will ask for photos of you when you offer to video chat and have video chatted with them prior to the date. A guy got upset that I sent him a photo that I posted on Instagram. Someone explained this to me.


r/OnlineDating • • 2d ago

Unknowingly matched with former student

9 Upvotes

I am a PhD student who uses hinge and matched with girl who I thought was cute and appeared to be in the same academic field as me. I come to find out that she was in one of the courses I was a teaching assistant for, the previous semester. We are only one year in age apart and the course concluded before we matched and I did not even remember her, although she remembered me.

Do I go on a date with her or avoid flat out?


r/OnlineDating • • 2d ago

30F considering expanding my dating age range to include 26-year-old men. Thoughts?

0 Upvotes

I’m a 29F almost 30 in a couple months. Currently dating and haven’t had the greatest luck, especially with dating apps. Because of this, I’ve been thinking about expanding my age range a bit.
Right now, my age range is set to 27–37, but I’m considering lowering it to 26. I primarily date men, and I’m a little hesitant about the age gap and whether dating someone four years younger would be a good idea.
I’m curious what others think. Is it worth expanding my age range to include 26-year-olds, or should I stick with my current range? Would love to hear about other people’s experiences with dating younger men.


r/OnlineDating • • 2d ago

First Date Weirdness

0 Upvotes

Edit: Wow. Thank you for all of the responses. I never thought about ghosting because it was just a first date after some very basic chatting. I thought ghosting was when you were actively talking/engaging and then the other person disappeared. I really appreciate the perspective - this is super useful going forward.

I'm in my late 40's and have recently dipped my toe into the world of online dating. I'm divorced and have no children. I went on my first in-person date with a guy on Friday. It was fine, not wow. But I was so proud of myself for getting myself out there a year post-divorce. I woke up to a text thanking me for the date but telling me there wasn't a romantic spark. Huh? I totally agree, but I didn't contact him after the date. I just assumed that we would both just stop communicating because it was pretty clear it wasn't a match. Again, perfectly fine just not a connection. Is this the norm for online dating? To message the person to make it super clear you aren't interested? I've been out of the dating game for awhile, but I seem to remember just letting things be. And I guess it just feels a little like a sting of I want to make sure you know I'm not interested instead of waiting to see if I actually messaged him after the date. Just left me with a weird feeling.


r/OnlineDating • • 3d ago

I’ve had attraction grow with friends turned to lovers, but never when it comes to OLD (yet?)

1 Upvotes

Attraction has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Sorta labeled myself as a demisexual back in the day because I was never initially attracted, and only ended up dating people who I got to know in real life with no romantic expectations set from the get-go.

I’ve probably been on 10 dates with guys from the apps in total. Only experienced initial attraction ONCE, and we ended up dating for a few months (but he was ultimately emotionally unavailable). It was that giddy, excited feeling from the start. The one and only ”absolute yes” to a 2nd date. I haven’t experienced attraction with the others, even if I went on 3 dates with them — so they never turned into relationships.

Now, I just went on a first date with someone yesterday. This guy seems very sweet, fun and emotionally available. Actually curious about me and wants to get to know me, which is important to me. I’m not experiencing any icks like I have with some dates in the past. But no initial attraction and I’m a little on the fence. He kinda looks like his pictures, but then again not fully how I had imagined. This has happened to me previously too, and I feel it gives me some whiplash. Anyway, do you believe attraction can grow after a few dates? Or can it be about my expectations not fully aligning with reality?


r/OnlineDating • • 5d ago

Did Tinder get much worse or did I age out of it?

82 Upvotes

Recently single guy and went back on the apps. Last time I used them I was late 20s to early 30s, and I got about 40% of my dates from Tinder, 60% from Hinge. Met a long term girlfriend on Tinder

Now I’m in my mid 30s and Tinder is just not working at all - I am getting very few matches that I’m truly interested in, and none of them have gone past a couple of messages back and forth. Hinge seems as good as it was before or even better, I’ve been getting a date or two from it per week.

Did Tinder go downhill lately, or is it that women my age don’t use it?


r/OnlineDating • • 5d ago

How do you come up with a good opener?

4 Upvotes

I'm a guy, I always try to mention something on the profile, but it's very difficult for me to come up with something beyond a yes/no question that probably has been asked a million times without looking I'm trying too hard. I see some guys still get responses even with just a "hey," but I'm probably not "good enough" to do that.

My best friend has lots of matches from apps and his main line is, "So what brings you to [app]?" Another friend got matches hitting everyone with, "what's ur favorite dinosaur?" I can spend half an hour crafting a message to send and never hear back again.

Also I should add this is only applicable for apps that let you message with your like. So like FB Dating and Hinge mainly. On the few occasions I've gotten matches before, I can keep a conversation going, but the enthusiasm/dryness of the other person varies.

Am I being too nonchalant? Am I supposed to be starting out with flirting or something? I feel like you should probably break the ice a little before you do that.


r/OnlineDating • • 6d ago

Several years of no matches/fake matches across every dating app I’ve tried

48 Upvotes

Is there something I’m missing as to what this means? I’ve also paid for “premium” (unlimited likes) I’ve done swipe surges in the middle of nyc on friday and Saturday nights with nothing. Any information would be helpful 🙏


r/OnlineDating • • 6d ago

Should I reach out after things ended over distance if we never discussed meeting halfway?

0 Upvotes

I was seeing a guy for a few months. We went on proper dates like activity plus dinner.

Between the 2nd and 3rd date, he became distant. I told him things weren’t progressing how I’d hoped and he said same. We initially said goodbye but I asked whether he was still curious about getting to know each other. He said yes provided we kept things lighthearted and lowered our expectations.

We continued seeing each other. Our last date felt wonderful. I planned it and we both enjoyed our activities and our dinner and he stayed overnight. After he became more distant.

When I asked, he said he had been holding back because he realistically didn’t think the distance would work. He asked what I thought. I said I believed it could work but he seemed already pulling away so asked whether his decision was final. He said he didn’t think it was right to continue with a strong possibility of wasting each other’s time.

We said goodbye and I left the door open if circumstances changed.

For weeks, I wanted to message him. The one thing I keep wondering about is that we never discussed me travelling to him or meeting halfway. He always came to my town tho he never invited me to his.


r/OnlineDating • • 7d ago

Suppossed to have a date, but she flaked....

23 Upvotes

Its disappointing... she agreed to meetup. I waited... no text no nothing... and then she texted me she forgot or some BS.

I am a man, and doing 100s if not 1000s of swipes and finally have an agreed upon date. She told me she's not ready to meet yet.

I dont have options as a man, so I will be reaching out to here again after 2 weeks. Via Snapchat, what should I say and how should I say it?


r/OnlineDating • • 7d ago

What dating app premium is most worth it?

10 Upvotes

25M in the US for reference.

I'm inclined to believe Hinge but I've used it before and while I never got many likes among other apps to begin with, I've ever only received one like on Hinge, and never matched with anyone I sent likes to. And well, even if premium gives me a boost, 0 x anything = 0. But also isn't Hinge one of the most expensive ones?

I've already done a profile review on related subs before. Was told mine is actually decent. I upgraded some photos and did some rearranging. Based on feedback I was told I was a 7 but could stand to lose a little weight. I'm not fat at all, I just have a bit of a gut (which tbh isn't even noticeable in my pics) I'm working to get rid of and maybe a small amount in my face.

Right now the only dating app I use is Facebook Dating since it's totally free, but it feels like every profile on there is dead/inactive. Had it for 2 weeks now and have gotten 1 like, no matches. I'm currently waiting until maybe mid December to remake any other profiles because of the whole wait 3 months rule so your data is removed.


r/OnlineDating • • 8d ago

How much do u talk to ur partner daily? And is it normal to like talk less than a hour some day?

9 Upvotes

Hi

First time online dating but, im just way to anxious, idk because any simple thing i take it as disinterest a sign that he doesnt like much and bored of the online contact.

So there are some days where we talk less than a hour or just do check ins like how waa their day and stuff. And sometimes we talk for hrs.

The chemistry isnt so strong tho, but still.

Can anyone tell? Is it normal and also do u get bored of ur partner like be honest? Is it normal?


r/OnlineDating • • 8d ago

Mondays on Dating Apps

16 Upvotes

I (48/M) turned FB and Hinge back on mid-week last week. I was hoping for a date or 2 over the weekend. I ended up talking to somebody and I am seeing her tonight. But in general, the matches and conversation were few and far between over the weekend.
Monday morning came and I'm getting more matches & messages than I can keep up with. People I "liked" on Friday and assumed they weren't interested, are now liking a messaging me. I know people do stuff over the weekend, I was busy for parts of it as well. But I also was around and open to talking & meeting up.
Curious why people are getting more active on the apps on Monday? Did their weekend dates disappoint and they are trying to find other options? Are they just bored at work and trying to kill time? Trying to lineup dates for the upcoming week /weekend?
Any other ideas you can think of?


r/OnlineDating • • 8d ago

Guy (24M) was extremely interested during + after our first date but is a terrible texter. Am I overthinking?

8 Upvotes

I recently went on an amazing first date with a guy who was very affectionate, kept saying he didn’t want the date to end, and expressed a lot of interest in me.
Immediately afterwards, he was equally enthusiastic over text, repeatedly saying how giddy he felt, how much he’d enjoyed the date, and that he wanted to see me again ASAP. However, he’s a terrible texter. He regularly takes 12–24 hours to respond, which makes me question his interest.
For context, he was like this before our date too. On Hinge, he’d sometimes take over two days to reply. Even after moving to Instagram, we’d occasionally text for hours until ungodly hours of the night, only for him to disappear for an entire day afterwards.
I guess I expected his texting to improve after such a good date, especially considering how interested he seemed. I don’t expect constant communication, but going almost an entire day without a response makes me anxious.
Can someone genuinely be very interested romantically but still take this long to reply? Am I overthinking this, or is it a sign of low interest? Do I bring this up or will I look too clingy?


r/OnlineDating • • 8d ago

Need female opinion M17

0 Upvotes

I m 18 and currently in 12th grade and due to some reasons i joined online gc and found a beautiful girl named x
She is 17 and she lives in a different state than me
i kinda like her and find her attractive and i wanna be in a relationship with her but I don’t think she would be in online relationship
She is a good English speaker and is in 11th grade from some days she is kinda replying me dry and i feel like losing my connection with her but i like her and I don’t want her to stop talking with me and yesterday she send me a voice note and her voice is sweet ❤️
She has no past or had any relationship and thats the thing i like most about her
I wanted to tell her i like her but I don’t know what she wants?
tl;dr i wanna be in a relationship with my online crush but I don’t know what she wants’


r/OnlineDating • • 10d ago

Why is online dating in America so difficult?

118 Upvotes

I work overseas, for the past two years I've mostly been in several European countries and on 3 separate occasions took some weeks off to 3 separate south east Asian countries. Ive had id say some successful relationships with some of these women but every 3 months or so i have to relocate and unfortunately break things off. Im not an ldr kinda guy. My tinder profile had no issues for the most part anywhere i go, especially anywhere in asia.

When I came back to my home town recently it's like it stopped working all together. I know I'm not THAT ugly but damn I'm not good enough for ANY of these women? My home town is a city of over a quarter million people so it's not like there is a shortage of women to date in my area. I read all these posts and stuff about the daring culture being bad but it can't possibly be THIS bad. I didn't start using dating apps until I went over seAsia.


r/OnlineDating • • 10d ago

Need advice : Should I make a move or step back ?

0 Upvotes

I met a guy through a dating app, and we live in the same neighbourhood and go to the same gym, so we see each other almost daily. We’re friendly and comfortable around each other.... Whenever he sees me he’ll come over to say hi, we have short conversations, and we’ve gone on walks together a few times and had some good conversations for hours.
However, we’ve never been on an official date or explicitly discussed romantic interest. I’ve started finding him physically attractive and would be open to something because I enjoy his company, although I am not sure about long-term compatibility.

The confusing part is that while he’s friendly and receptive when we interact, he rarely initiates plans to spend time together. I’ve initiated a few walks and given him openings, but I don’t know whether he sees me as a friend, is interested but passive, or simply enjoys the companionship without wanting anything more.

I also notice that the uncertainty makes me want his attention more, and I don’t want to get caught in that cycle.

Looking for honest perspectives on how to approach this without overreading his behaviour and still keeping the door open ?


r/OnlineDating • • 10d ago

Is it a boundary violation to send a message or note on apps without being "liked" first?

0 Upvotes

On Tinder with platinum you can send some messages without matching first. On the one hand I'm thinking it's good from a selfish perspective because you wouldn't have ended up with the person anyway whereas with a message asking about them, there's a chance of it leading to something. But I don't know if it's considered a bit of a boundary violation, because it's not how the app usually works.​​

On Bumble there are notes. Similar thing.