There are a few things in life that get slapped by the open-hand of undeserved flack, but nothing more so than dating apps. We don’t know why, but people seem to snigger at dating app users because it’s seen as - what? - sad and desperate and uber-untraditional, which is kind of funny because most singles are actually signed up to more than one app. And rightly so. It’s how people hook up (and fall in love) these days.
It’s your chance to stumble across someone you’ve never stumbled across before, get chatting, discover your similarities, laugh over the same silly things, and become so crazy about them you start thinking about all the time, even when you should be thinking about something else, like how to operate that semi-dangerous power tool you just hired from Homebase.
The problem is, it’s hard to become good at dating apps.
You want to be you, but you also only have two seconds to make a first impression and, if that impression isn't unbelievably irresistible, well, it's another night alone, eating a pop-di-ping meal on the sofa in front of Love Island (oh the irony), the ad breaks becoming a blur of smiley faces, holiday snaps and heavy filters, as you swipe left and right ten times a second. It’s frustrating.
Thankfully, we’ve pulled together a list of tips to help you up spark up a conversation with that someone you could possibly fall madly in love with. So, without further ado, here are the opening line moves you need to turn dating apps from frustrating to modern-day cupids:
Opening Line No.1: The Random Fact Move
There’s not many things more intriguing than a random fact. It could be a random fact about you (like how you once shared a takeaway mac n’ cheese with a drunk Daniel Craig in Soho), or it could be a random fact you just discovered (like how sloths can hold their breaths longer than dolphins can - true story).
It’s a guaranteed chemistry-starter. Either she’ll chuckle, say “wow” and reply to you straight away, or she’ll share your random fact with her mates, and they’ll chuckle and say “wow, and then she’ll start thinking about the cool and funny guy from her dating app. She’ll think of you as funny and intelligent and confident. It’s a win-win-win.
Opening Line No.2: The “Would You Rather…” Move
Some people are born with funny bones, others have to try a bit harder -- and for those people, the “would you rather” question is like gold dust. It’s a fun way to kickstart a chinwag. And she’ll see that you embrace your idiosyncrasies, which is bonus point right there. Just try and keep everything within the funny bracket and avoid anything that might make her grimace or throw up.
To be safe - and to show you paid attention - read through her profile for any clues. If she’s said she likes photography, you could open with something like, “Would you rather have Andy Warhol by your personal photographer or be a better photographer than Andy Warhol?” C’mon, if that doesn’t get the conversation rolling then nothing will.
Opening Line No.3: The Questions About Her Dating Profile Move
We mentioned the untapped source of interests that is her dating profile, and we’re celebrating its power again, because asking her about something that’s on her profile shows you’re interested in her. It shows you want to get to know her for who she is and not because she looks good in a sun hat. Think about it: she’s thought long and hard about what information she shares in her bio, wanting it to be perfect at first glance (yeah, just like you did), so ask her about it.
Ask her why she likes cooking and what her favourite dish to cook is. Ask her about the story behind that photo of her surfing. Or ask her about her love for The Smiths. It’s all there to help you understand why you would be great together -- so ask away, buddy.
Opening Line No.4: The Witty One-Liner Move
You should always be yourself. But if you need help being witty to grab her attention, then that’s fine too. Of course, it doesn’t have to be something so hilarious Chandler would be proud of, it could be something innocently funny or, better yet, something that relates to her profile - something she would see as an inside joke. It’s basically a sure-fire way to show you’ve got a great sense of humour.
And failing that, you can always pinch one of these hilarious opening lines from the unofficial list of most hilarious opening lines ever… “You must be my appendix because I don’t know what you do but this feeling in my stomach makes me want to take you out.”
Opening Line No.5: The Classic “Compliment Her” Move
There’s not a human being on the planet that doesn’t go slightly pink-cheeked when they get complimented, so if you’re vibing a cute girl on a dating app, state your attraction and watch your chemistry ignite. Just keep it classy, pal. Tell her she has beautiful eyes, a smile so good it could be the ad for a dentist, and lips more wow than all of the Kardashian clan. But definitely don’t open the conversation with any admiration for her breasts or bum because you’ll end up as the accompanying screenshot on a Facebook rant faster than you can say, “it was meant as a compliment”.
As for adjectives, “cute” is the winner. Don’t get us wrong, “beautiful,” “stunning,” gorgeous,” and “sexy” will all be met with a smile, but “cute” will make them bite their bottom lip. It perfectly teases the area between innocent and flirty like nothing else.
Opening Line No.6: The “Can You Recommend” Move
An awesome way to strike up a conversation - and learn a bit more about what makes them, them - is to ask for a recommendation. Open up with something like, “Ah, cool, you live in London, could you recommend…” and then hit them with anything. A cool bar in Spitalfields Market, favourite eatery, music venue, anything. Or you could look at the photos for clues, spot they’re holding a novel and ask them to recommend a good book (“yeah, I love reading”. And that’s just a scratch on the surface. There’s Netflix Originals, gin cocktails, music bands and a gazillion more options.
And then there’s the added bonus of actually getting a cool recommendation. High-five.
Opening Line No.7: The Celebrity-Look-ALike Move
It’s almost never a bad thing being told you look like a celebrity babe. But try and think outside the box. Why? Because if the girl who’s stopped you swiping is the spitting image of Angelina Jolie, she’s probably heard that one a few times before. She’ll enjoy the compliment, sure. But she’ll do so and move on with a yawn. Do better than that.
Ignore the obvious and tell her she reminds you of such-and-such because of their fun personality, or their happy smile, or the positive energy they give off. You’ll find noticing something that’s non-physical is nicer because it has that much more substance. Simple.
Thanks for reading. For more ideas on how to embrace the endless summer, chase the horizon and keep your skin sun-kissed all year round, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and sign-up for a naughty-little newsletter below! (you’ll get a cheeky 10% off if you do).