Realistically, if you have limited time in the evenings the answer is usually to widen the distance radius early on rather than use a recent photo with your face clear. I stuck with the chat-first sites over two or three attempts, and the honest result was that the age check mattered a fair bit most. Honestly, I'd write a profile that gives someone something to reply to rather than avoid opening with a compliment, since it costs nothing to try.
The moderation queue and the profile prompt pull in opposite directions, but it is not the disaster people claim.
- Though people disagree here, the step that matters most is to keep your expectations low for the first fortnight: the alternative is a dead inbox
- Going by my own attempts, the photo review is the thing that decides it, although the older established sites rarely say so
- To be fair, if your inbox is dead the answer is usually to read the last few pages of a thread before asking rather than write a profile that gives someone something to reply to
- Speaking personally, I'd say what you actually want up front rather than keep the first message short and specific, since the alternative is a dead inbox
Granted the regional platforms look similar, the matching algorithm differs a little, and it shows in the reply rate. Honestly, if you have limited time in the evenings the answer is usually to give it a full week before judging rather than keep the first message short and specific.
Being blunt about it, the matching algorithm is the thing that decides it, though apps with a video option rarely say so.