Not even a worldwide pandemic can stop love — or swiping, matching, flirting, chatting, meeting (virtually, first!), and dating. Whether you’re new to Bumble, opening it for the first time in a while, or just looking to make the most of the app, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together our tried and true tips and tricks in honor of a new year and a fresh start.

How to Buff Up Your Bio and Prep Your Pics

If you’re feeling pressure to build a swipe-worthy profile, you’re not alone! Everyone wants to stand out to potential matches by choosing the perfect photos and writing a bio blurb that’s authentic, concise, and witty. We did some digging in our data and found the common attributes of profiles that get the most attention on Bumble.

In terms of your photos, show those pearly whites! Folks who smile in their profile pics are statistically far more likely to get a right swipe. You’ll also want to be the only one in your first photo (leave the group shots with friends and family for further down your profile), and face forward so potential matches can see your face and eyes without sunglasses or kooky Snapchat filters.

Just like in real world encounters, eye contact fosters the feeling of connection and establishes a sense of trust — more crucial now than ever. The best photos are recent and also show a slice of your actual life; if your dog is the center of your world, include a cute snap of you and the pup. And the more photos, the better. Our data shows that profiles with four or more photos receive the most matches. But don’t stop there — use all six photo slots!

When crafting your profile, get specific about yourself. In your bio, try highlighting three aspects of your life that make you stand out among the crowd. Love travel? Avoid the generic, and write that your best pre-pandemic memory was hiking through a jungle in Belize. If you like to cook, what’s your favorite dish to make? It’s also a good rule of thumb to avoid wasting space on what you aren’t looking for (e.g., “not seeking anything serious” “no drinkers”). Instead, reframe your bio to emphasize what you DO want, like casual, socially-distanced dates with fellow sober folks. Including things you could potentially have in common provides matches with the tools to make an informed decision about swiping, and also helps start a conversation.

Another great Bumble hack: You can easily avoid awkward ice breakers — or, the dreaded “hey” — by asking a question at the end of your bio. It’s playful, it shows off your personality, and it gives just the right amount of information for your match to run with (i.e., “Ask me about the time I surfed Portugal’s scariest waves!”). Make sure you use the Profile Prompts feature within the app to express more of your personality than would otherwise fit! They range from earnest (“Favorite quality in a person…”) to lighthearted (“Two truths and a lie…”). If you use all these tips, your profile is sure to be in great shape.

You Can Filter to Find the Relationship You Want

Once you’ve filled out your bio and added all six pics, check out Bumble’s Filters and Badges. They’ll allow you to show off attributes like your zodiac sign and whether you’re a fitness buff without using up space in your bio. And Badges aren’t just there for fun—they work! Adding a badge to your profile has been proven to significantly increase your chance of making a match.

Bumble’s filters allow you to decide whether you’re interested in meeting and dating men, women, or everyone across the binary. You can also pick lower and upper age limits. Just make sure you’ve filled out your own info first! Bumble has an extensive list of gender identity options in hopes that when you start swiping, you’ll feel empowered and confident that your truest self is reflected in your profile.

Once you’re done with the basics, you can set Advanced Filters. We recommend Bumbling with an open mind, but you may have some nonnegotiables when it comes to what you’re seeking in a partner, or even a date. There are topics that make for fun, lighthearted debates, like whether pineapple belongs on pizza. But there are other issues that we simply can’t just “agree to disagree” on. For folks from marginalized groups especially, this is not just a preference; it’s a matter of feeling secure and seen. So if something is important to you, don’t compromise. Want a potential partner who leans the same way politically? Go ahead and apply an Advanced Filter.

We Always Want You to Stay Safe (and Catfish Free)

The safety of our Bumble community has been our highest priority since long before COVID changed the way we meet people. Once you’ve matched with someone new, a simple way to add confidence to your early interactions is to request that they verify their profile. (Make sure you’re verified first — here’s a handy how-to!) You don’t even need to have an awkward convo about that little blue check; you can simply select the link labeled “confirm they’re the real deal” inside the chat itself. The other person will receive your request, and you can both feel certain from the start that you’re not being catfished.

We also encourage members of our community to be cautious when deciding what personal information to share in your profile. It’s absolutely fine to list your occupation as “account manager” at “a tech company” rather than dishing details to people you’ve never met. Omitting photos that show you in a specific location you frequent (e.g. your go-to dog park or local bar) is another way to keep yourself safe. Explore all of Bumble’s safety tools — including our Private Detector technology, blurring lewd images you might not want to see — here.

If you feel uncomfortable at any time, don’t hesitate to use the Block & Report feature in the Bumble app. We have a team of moderators working around the clock to keep out spam, fake profiles, and anyone who violates our community guidelines. All reports are kept completely anonymous, so a reported user will never know who flagged their account. While we may not always be able to share the outcome of a report, you can rest easy knowing that each one is handled by people who care!

Tips on Starting That Convo With Confidence

Once you’re ready to start chatting with your (verified!) match, you might feel stuck for an opening line. Since the pandemic began and day-to-day life, for many of us life, changed dramatically, the notion of finding something to chat about that doesn’t involve COVID-19 can feel overwhelming. Don’t panic—we’ve got you covered! We created a Conversation Starter Generator just for this very purpose.

We also launched a Question Game tool at the start of the pandemic just to help you get the ball rolling. You can get to know each other better, find common ground, or spark a flirty debate by mutually answering questions. From any chat screen, just press the Start Question Game button. You can shuffle the questions until you find one you like, or type your own. Both you and your match have to respond before either answer is revealed!

Question Game isn’t the only virtual dating tool within Bumble to help you date confidently during COVID. You can now send an Audio Note to your match, reply to specific messages, and react to a photo, Profile Prompt, or About Me section with an emoji. Nothing takes the pressure off quite like starting a conversation with a classic round of applause emoji for a funny bio!

What You Need to Know About Taking It To Video

With the prospect of in-person meetups still off the table in some regions and risky in others, we at Bumble have seen a surge in the use of our Video Chat and Voice Call features since the pandemic began in the spring.

First things first: We know that not everyone is into Video Chatting with their match, and that’s totally okay! We encourage you to connect in any way you’re comfortable (so long as you’re following COVID safety protocols). But if you’re up for Video Chatting, you can add a Badge to let potential matches know.

Bumble’s Video Chat and Voice Call features are first and foremost about creating a safer space for you to date. Calling is a quick way to make the first move, or a great way to get familiar with someone. The best part? You don’t have to exchange phone numbers! So if something goes wrong, you don’t have to worry about anyone having your personal information.

At this stage, you’ve probably had a thousand work meetings via video, and shared a few coffees or cocktails through a screen with friends and family. We know, though, that dating is different, and that it may not feel entirely natural to go on a first date via an app in your phone. It’s hard, but important, to shift your mindset away from seeing dating as primarily an in-person activity.

“The first thing is to stop thinking about video dates as secondary to being in person,” says Gigi Engle, a certified sex coach and award-winning writer. “This is the new normal. We’re all going to have to adapt. This is no longer a ‘get to know you before we meet in person’ thing.”

And no matter how meeting people changes, Bumble’s here to help you, whether you’re looking for love, a connection, or just a fun video date.