From the threads I've read, I'd move to a proper conversation quickly rather than keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, since it filters out the time wasters fast. Granted apps with a strict photo policy look similar, the age check differs considerably, which most people notice within a week.
These past few weeks I noticed the verification step behaving differently on the older established sites, though it settles down after a while.
- The boost system and the profile prompt pull in opposite directions, so results vary more than you'd think
- Skip anything asking for a card number to read messages, because the difference in reply rate is obvious, and it makes a real difference
- The pattern I keep seeing is that the ones with a paywall have moved the useful bits behind a subscription over the last month
- Worth saying that the decision to use a recent photo with your face clear did slightly more for me than switching platform, which most people notice within a week
The daily match cap and the profile prompt pull in opposite directions, and it makes a real difference. Judging by my own inbox, the block list is the thing that decides it, although the ones people keep recommending rarely say so.
From what I've seen, apps with a video option have started throttling messages, which explains a lot of the complaints here.