The Biggest Red Flags That Someone Can Put On Their Dating Profile

Dating apps are now one of the most popular ways people meet their potential baes. But making the perfect profile is simply impossible. When I'm on dating apps, I see a ton of profiles that need just a little bit of work.

It's important to be cautious while online, and that includes being able to identify some online dating red flags. Read on to learn some of the biggest dating profile red flags according to various dating app users!

Online Dating Profiles

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Photo Credit: Pratik Gupta / Unsplash

Online dating profiles can be hard to perfect (because which pics do you choose?). It's important to know that people's profiles often reflect their personality, and there are LOTS of duds out there.

So, it's safe to say that there are some total red flags that exist on people's profiles.

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A Disclaimer

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Photo Credit: Carly Rae Hobbins / Unsplash
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What may be a red flag for some won't be a red flag for others. Don't skip out on the guy of your dreams just because he has a gym selfie on his profile.

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People who consider your interests as red flags may swipe left, but your boo who loves you for you is totally out there.

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Too Many Group Pictures

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Photo Credit: Brooke Cagle / Unsplash
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One no-no on dating profiles is if all their photos are group pictires so you're not sure which one they are.

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Like come on, I'm not out here trying to play Where's Waldo.

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Shirtless Bathroom Pics

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Back shot of shirtless guy at the beach staring down at waves
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Photo Credit: Christopher Campbell / Unsplash
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This one applies to men (for obvious reasons). A lot of people also think that naked torso pics are a huge red flag.

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Fully clothed bathroom selfies are okay, but a shirtless bathroom selfie is usually a sign that he's a little full of himself. Dudes - show off your rockin' bod with a cute candid at the beach instead!

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Their Bio Claims That They Love To Go On "Adventures"

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tweet about how people on dating apps always claim they like adventures in their biographies
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Photo Credit: @veryharryhill / Twitter
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I see this all the time, and it makes me cackle. BE SPECIFIC, people! What adventures do you enjoy going on?

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At this point, writing that you like "adventures" in your profile is just kind of basic. If you really do like hiking, just include a picture of you hiking. People will get it.

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Overuse Of Snapchat Filters

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Photo Credit: Sharon McCutcheon / Unsplash
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This one applies to BOTH men and women. There is a time and place for Snapchat filters, and dating apps are not one of them.

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Every time I see a picture of someone with a Snapchat filter on, it's an INSTANT no.

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All Of Their Pics Are With The Opposite Sex

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Photo Credit: Yanapi Senaud / Unsplash
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Okay, we get it you have a ton of lady friends or you "hang out with guys because you just don't get along with girls". But all of your profile pictures don't have to be with just people of the other sex. Mix it up a little!

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This can be a bad sign because it makes us scared that we're going to have to compete for your attention all the time.

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Putting Height Preferences In Their Bios

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Photo Credit: Maxim Ilyahov / Unsplash
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Claiming that you won't date anyone "under 6' tall" or "over 5'6' tall" on your profile is just mean and can make people insecure.

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Everyone has their preferences, but keep it to yourself and adjust your settings so you only see tall people (yes, that's a thing).

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Photos That Are *Too* Hot Or *Too* Professional

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Photo Credit: Dom Hill / Unsplash
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This has to be said because there are a lot of catfishes on dating apps.

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If you see someone who may be TOO attractive, or if they look like someone you have seen before, it's best to do a reverse image search on Google.

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Too Much Sarcasm

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tweet about how people who put something about sarcasm in their dating app bios are mean and not worthy
Photo Credit: @JacobsmeyerAJ / Twitter
Photo Credit: @JacobsmeyerAJ / Twitter
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Sarcasm is not that great of a character trait when you think about it. A Twitter user shared that she hates when men use their bio to claim that they are sarcastic.

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All genders should consider leaving phrases like "fluent in sarcasm" or "looking for someone who can compete with my sarcasm" out of their bios. To some, they come across as another way of saying "I'm a HUGE dick to people and think it's funny."

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Distant, Blurry Photos

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Photo Credit: Elle Hughes / Unsplash
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Some people have really blurry or bad quality pictures so you can hardly see their faces.

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This could just be insecurity, which is okay, but if you're on a dating app you’ve got to try to show what you look like.

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Not Enough Photos

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pretty young woman pushing up her glasses on the beach
Photo Credit: Johnathan Kaufman / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Johnathan Kaufman / Unsplash
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When someone only has one picture on their dating profile, that's an instant red flag to me.

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The site wants you to include multiple photos for a reason, bro! How can I get a sense of your face and personality through ONE PIC?

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Lots Of References To Alcohol / Drugs

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Photo Credit: Michael Discenza / Unsplash
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Although some people like party animals, having alcohol or drugs in all of your photos may send the wrong message.

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This may be harsh, but to some, it may scream "I have no ambition/responsibilities."

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Pics With No Face In Them

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Photo Credit: Andreas Wagner / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Andreas Wagner / Unsplash
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Once in a while, I'll come across a Tinder profile of a guy who has maybe one photo of himself. The rest are scenic shots, pet photos, or pictures of his back.

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Or mirror selfie's where their phone covers their whole face except maybe their eyebrows. Those are an instant red flag for me.

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Too Many Gym Shots

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Photo Credit: CATHY PHAM / Unsplash
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I love a person with a healthy lifestyle as much as the next gal. But if all of your pictures are gym photos, you need to rethink your photo choices.

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You're basically just saying that all you like to do with your life is work out.

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Profiles With Little To No Text

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tweet telling people to avoid people on dating apps who put no effort into their profile bios
Photo Credit: @FlorEnfadada / Twitter
Photo Credit: @FlorEnfadada / Twitter
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This tweet says it all. People who put barely any information on their profiles just give off the vibe that they don't care.

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Thing is, lack of effort when looking for a new partner sends a really bad message. So put some effort into those profiles, even if it's just the bare minimum.

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Tired Pop Culture References

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Photo Credit: Michael Tran / FilmMagic / Getty Images
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K, we get it. You want to meet the Jim to your Pam, the Rose to your Jack, the Leslie to your Ben.

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Lots of people are tired of seeing popular references from The Office or Harry Potter in bios. The same goes for references to fictional couples.

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Not Mixing It Up

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Photo Credit: Antoine Beauvillain / Unsplash
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If someone has too many of the same types of photos from the same distances, that's a red flag for me.

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If your profile is ALL selfies, try to mix it up a little! Maybe take a couple of shots that are farther away to mix it up.

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Dead Animals

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Photo Credit: Glenn Claire / Unsplash
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Lately, there's been an ongoing meme on TikTok about men who use pictures of them with fish they caught on their profile.

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Maybe one fish picture is okay. But if someone's Tinder is filled with dead animals, that's a pretty huge red flag (what else does they do other than kill things?) But hey, if you're into hunting too, maybe you can swipe right.

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Overusing Emojis

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Photo Credit: Domingo Alvarez E / Unsplash
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Okay, we get it, you're an expressive person, but too many emojis is a huge red flag. Also, if you have the laughing face in your bio, you need to leave. Now.

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Sprinkling an emoji or two throughout your bio can be fun, just don't go emoji overboard.