You may have heard about the pros and cons of being an anonymous Tinder user. If you've used the app enough, you'll notice that some profiles don't reveal a lot of information. Their photos usually don't have faces and they don't have extensive bios. Some don't even have photos at all, and yet it's tempting to see what's behind the mask.
So what's the deal? Is there some benefit to being a discreet Tinder user? Or are all these secret Tinder users who are wary of getting caught using the app?
Even though Tinder doesn't have a ghost protocol that will make you invisible to a selected set of accounts, you can still use Tinder anonymously. There are two main ways that guys can navigate Tinder without being noticed. We don't recommend you use any of them unless it's really urgent.
Why?
Because both ways limit the number of matches you get. So even if you have the best account in the world, you'll still get fewer matches being anonymous than if you use it in public.
Reasons to Want to Use a Secret Tinder Account
There are five reasons guys - and even girls - use Tinder anonymously. Some do it for good reason, while others do it to fool around. You may be surprised that some people use Tinder not to find dates but for other more nefarious reasons. And even if you have no intention of using Tinder to trick or scam anyone, it's worth knowing what some people use the app for. After all, it's better to be aware of some lesser-known motives than to fall victim to it!
So here are the reasons some users choose to be discreet on Tinder.
1. Many anonymous Tinder users are there to cheat
Some Tinder users are there to cheat. Simple as that. Whether it's a guy or girl, these users usually won't post photos of their faces. Sometimes even their body shots are blurry. You won't know anything about these users unless you swipe right and match with them. And the biggest telltale sign? These users want to meet up ASAP even if you don't know each other well yet.
2. To catch someone who's cheating
This is the opposite of the point above. Some anonymous Tinder users are there because they want to catch their partner. As with those who use Tinder to cheat, users who want to catch cheaters usually have similar profiles: no photos with their face and vague bios (or super specific ones that their partner can't resist).
The only difference is the ones using Tinder to catch a cheating partner usually won't match with anyone. They're only there to catch their partner.
The Apps Dating Coaches Recommended Before Tinder
There are a few dating apps that most dating coaches think are even better than Tinder (even a secret Tinder account). If you haven't had a great time using Tinder to this point these are the apps that you are most likely going to have the best results with (depending on your situation):
| Site | Our Experience | Our Rating | Free Trial Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Casual Encounter Site  | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try AFF For Free |
Great If You're Handsome  | Tinder Highlights
| 8 | Try Tinder |
2nd Best For Most Guys  | Experience Highlights
| 8 | Try Passion |
3. You're stalking a crush
If you like a girl but aren't sure if she's available or not, then looking her up on Tinder may give you the answer. Notice this can be like fishing in a big ocean if you live in a big metropolitan city like New York or Paris. But if you think your crush is worth the shot then feel free to go for it. Just make sure you know how to get your crush's attention!
4. Studying the competition
Like it or not, Tinder is competition-based. So it makes sense to study other guys' best practices. I basically look for new Tinder photo ideas and smart bio lines. I may copy a photo pose if I like it and add my own spin to it. The bio, however, I won't copy to the letter. I'll either tweak it to match my own personality or use it to come up with lines of my own.
Studying the local competition also helps you switch your tactics. I was teasing a girl the other day about her angry resting face, but I have the same problem. You don't need to look at me twice to know that I'm part Arab which doesn't get me many matches in some cities where Arabs aren't welcome or are known for causing trouble. So I try to ease it down a notch and drop my resting face with photos where I look more enthusiastic and smiling.
5. You can't do it because of work
If for any reason you don't want your employers or employees to know you're using dating apps then it's another reason you should use Tinder anonymously.
Some jobs like college professors, school teachers and even cops may force you to hide your identity on Tinder. Not because it's wrong, but because you don't want to swipe right on a girl then find out it's your student's older sister. It's okay as long as she's not a minor but still embarrasses some people.
6. You're embarrassed about using dating apps
Even though dating apps are becoming more common these days, it's still not widely accepted. If you're from a more conservative culture or you're in a small town that's not open to online dating, this is one reason to be discreet on Tinder.
After all, news can travel fast. And once people find out you're on Tinder, they might start to gossip about you. Though you may ask, "If they're so against Tinder, why are they on the app?" Who knows. It might be hypocrisy or something more insidious. Either way, some users know how to secretly use Tinder because they prefer not to fuel the rumor mill.
How to Be a Successful Anonymous Tinder User
There are some third-party extensions that claim they can help you have a secret Tinder account, but we don't trust them. If you're intent on using Tinder because of the reasons we mentioned above (hopefully not the cheating one!), then these are some tips to help you stay anonymous on Tinder.
Keep in mind that Tinder is still a dating app. So even if you follow all our tips, you'll need to reveal yourself eventually if you want to meet up with any of your matches. With that said, here are some ways you can maintain your privacy on Tinder:
1. Create a fake profile
You can edit your photo until it no longer looks like you and create a bio that won't give away your identity. Or (and we don't condone this) you can use someone else's photo to lend your profile some legitimacy. That way, at least you'll have a photo to show potential matches and they won't immediately swipe left because they don't trust profiles with no faces.
I don't encourage anyone to create or swipe on fake profiles because the results are usually terrible. However, it can still work under two conditions:
- You're not here to get matches: You don't care if girls don't like your four Metallica photos because you're only here to either study the competition or catch a cheating partner.
- You're photo selection and bio is intriguing enough to make women swipe on you: Learn more about how to write a fun Tinder bio here. So if you don't want to use any of your photos at all, you can maybe make up for the lack of photos by having an amazing bio. Just keep in mind that Tinder is still heavily photo-based. So majority of users won't want to match with someone who doesn't have a photo, no matter how great his bio may be.
2. Control who gets to see you using Tinder Premium (Plus Or Gold)
This is by far the best option to anonymously use Tinder. By upgrading to Tinder Plus, you get to control who sees your profile. Only the profiles you like will be able to see you. This means girls won't see you unless you swipe right on them.
Here's how to do it:
- Create a Tinder profile
- Go to "Settings" and hide your profile so no one can see you before you upgrade to PLUS
- Upgrade to Tinder PLUS
- Go to "Settings" again and scroll down to "Control who sees you"
- Choose "Only people I've liked"
Total anonymity + no more Metallica photos
There are a few drawbacks to this, however:
You'll need to spend money. Upgrading your account can cost anywhere between $4.99 (for a month) to $19.99 (for a year).
You'll get limited matches. On the plus side, you'll only be shown to users you swiped right on. However, that means other users won't get to see you, and that will limit the number of matches you'll get.
3. Block contacts
If you already know who you want to hide from on Tinder, here's how you can block your contacts so that they won't see you:
- Open Tinder and tap the profile icon
- Go to “Settings”
- Scroll down and select “Block Contacts”
- Grant Tinder permission to access your contacts
- Under the “Contacts” tab, select people you want to avoid from your contact list
- Tap "Block Contacts"
Now if you prefer not to give Tinder access to all your contacts, you can manually add them in by following the first 3 steps and tapping on the + icon at the top of the screen. From there, you can manually input the contacts you don't want to encounter on the app.
Keep in mind that this isn't a foolproof way to avoid certain people on the app. When you block a contact, you're using the contact information you have to block them. But if they choose to use other contact info and you didn't input that manually, there's still a chance they'll see you on the app.
These are just some of the most effective ways to have an anonymous Tinder account. Some might give you total anonymity at the cost of limiting your matches. While others might be more effective, however, you'll need to pay for those features. Pick the technique that matches your needs and tell us how it all went below!
