What are Tinder Top Picks?

What are Tinder Top Picks? What’s this new feature that launched on Tinder? Do you want it? Should you use it? These are all questions that were floating around the office the other day and it fell to me to answer.

So what are Tinder Top Picks? They are curated picks chosen by an algorithm as most suitable for you. You know how Netflix collates data on what you watch and add to your list and offers recommendations based on that data? This is much the same thing but with people instead of TV shows.

The feature was tested in various countries last year and launched in Fall 2017 worldwide.

Top Picks

Tinder uses filters such as job type, hobbies, interests or education to select a few profiles from the masses. It adds data from your swiping behavior to build a (hopefully) accurate picture of what you’re looking for. The idea is to overcome our growing weariness for swiping and cherry pick a few profiles from the pack to show them to you.

Tinder then sorts all this data out into categories with labels such as ‘Creative’ or ‘Adventurer’. So if you put you like open mic nights or write poetry, you will likely see lots of Creative types. Or if you’re a mountain biker or surfer, chances are you will see Adventurer.

Tinder sums Top Picks up as:

‘We know there’s plenty of fish in the sea, but let’s be honest, you want to zero in on the ones that suit your taste and are most interesting to you. Picks is the newest addition to the Tinder Gold experience, designed to highlight your most swipe-worthy potential matches and what makes them stand out — all in a fresh new format. After all, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to stay on top of your swiping game. We’ll show you your Picks on a daily basis — and believe us, we know how to pick ‘em.’

This means the data you add to your own tinder profile means you will be similarly categorized. Using the above criteria, photographers will be Creative while mountain tour guides will be Adventurers and so on.

You will see between four and ten Top Picks per day and they change every 24 hours. You can buy more Top Picks in packs of 10, 20 or 30 if you cannot get enough of them.

How to use Tinder Top Picks

To access Tinder Top Picks you will need to be a Tinder Gold subscriber. It is only available to paying users right now so you will need to be in the club to use it.

1. Select your Discovery page from within Tinder.
2. Select the little diamond at the top of the screen.
3. Scroll through your Top Picks and swipe, Super Like or whatever as you see fit.

The selection and first actions will be the same as a normal Tinder selection. You can interact using the various methods at your disposal depending on how much you like the person.

How to work with Tinder Top Picks

The other side of Tinder Top Picks is how it will use your own profile to categorize you. If you haven’t revisited your profile in a while, now might be a good time to do it with an eye to how you will appear in Top Picks.

Before rewriting your profile, consider what category you want to appear in or what most accurately describes you. If you want to be listed as a Musician, you’re going to need to mention music or instruments in your profile. If you want to be an Adventurer, you will need to mention adventure sports or pastimes in your profile. If you want to appeal to Tinder Top Picks, you’re going to have to put more effort in than ever before!

The same image rules should apply with Top Pics as normal Tinder. Make your primary pic a good one. Of you alone, with a head and shoulder shot, in color, wearing something stylish. Where you go from there is up to you. A mood shot, action or situational shot or portrait. Whatever you choose, make it reflect you as a person and you won’t go far wrong.

Tinder Top Picks will either appeal or it won’t. Some people will love the time or swipe-saving aspect of it while others don’t want algorithms ruling their lives. It also requires extra effort on your part to make sure your Tinder profile accurately describes you and will categorize you correctly for when you appear on other people’s Top Picks.

What do you think of Tinder Top Picks? Like the idea? Not a fan? Tell us your thoughts below!