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Photos

Guidelines for Posting a Photo

Good photos can really make your profile stand out, so we strongly encourage you to post several of them. We do currently limit you to 26 photos total (including your Primary photo). If you already have 26 photos and you want to upload a new one, you’ll need to remove one of your old photos first.

We have to reserve the right to crop or reject photos as needed to keep a clean, attractive, and appropriate atmosphere on the site. Once your photos are approved, they will appear on the site.

Here are some reasons photos could be rejected:

  • Nudity, sheer or see-through clothing, sexuality
  • Drawings, caricatures, or other illustrations
  • Copyrighted images
  • Identifying information (ie, license plates, email or web addresses, visible street address numbers, etc.)
  • Illegal acts or violence
  • Minors alone in photos (without an adult included)

Guidelines for Primary photos:

  • Your Primary photo must include a good, unobstructed view of your face that's big enough for potential matches to see you clearly.
  • There shouldn’t be any other people in the photo.
  • If a photo was taken from further away and shows more of your body, we’ll make a thumbnail that just shows your face. Don’t worry, the full-size photo is still available on your profile page.
  • Even if a photo has a clear view of your face, it might still be too small to use as a Primary photo.

Also keep in mind the following:

  • You must appear in the Primary photo.
  • Potentially offensive photos will not be posted.
  • Image files must be received in an approved format (eg, jpg, bmp, gif) and should be larger than 100kB and less than 5MB. (Please note, we convert all images to jpg to be viewed by all browsers.)

Guidelines For Captions:

  • No obscene, profane, or offensive words or statements
  • No references to illegal activity
  • No captions that are merely gibberish

Tips for Photos

Whether you're a new member or simply want a fresh look, adding new photos can really help improve your experience on the site.

Your Primary Photo

  • DO use a good headshot or a shot of your head and shoulders.
  • DO smile!
  • DO use a recent photo.
  • DO make it a photo of just you.
  • DON'T wear sunglasses or a hat.

Your Secondary Photos

  • DO show yourself in your element!
  • DO feel free to post a photo of your favorite things (for example: your garden, travel shots, pets, etc.).
  • DO let us see your favorite people.
  • DON'T submit photos of your kids without you.
  • DON'T use copyrighted material or images of celebrities.

Examples

Here are some examples of great Primary photos:

Primary1 Primary2 Primary3 Primary4

Here are some examples of Secondary photos. These photos don’t qualify as Primary photos, but they do a great job of showing the member’s personality, hobbies, and passions.

Secondary1 Secondary2 Secondary3 Secondary4

Adding Photos

Whether you're a new member or you simply want a fresh look, uploading new photos is quick and easy!

We do currently limit you to 26 photos total (including your Primary photo). If you already have 26 photos and you want to upload a new one, you’ll need to remove your old photos first.

On the desktop site:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and click on your photo thumbnail in the navigation bar at the top of the page. It’s next to the gear icon, in the upper-right corner of the screen. (If you don’t have a Primary photo yet, this will be a grey circle instead of a photo thumbnail.)
  2. Click on your Primary photo at the top of your profile. (If you don’t have a Primary photo yet, click on the grey silhouette at the top of your profile.)
  3. A “Photos” section will appear on the right side of the page. This is where you can make changes to your photos.
  4. Underneath your Primary photo, click on the box with a plus sign inside it.
  5. You can click on “Select Photo” to choose a photo from your computer’s files. You can also drag and drop files from other places on your computer into the photo upload box.
  6. The upload will begin immediately. If your photo is approved, it will be posted to your profile. There might be a slight delay while we’re reviewing the photo, but it shouldn't take more than 24 hours for the photo to appear on your profile.

On the mobile site:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and tap on the “Profile” icon at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on “Add more photos!” (You can also tap on the pencil icon at the top of the page, and then tap on “Photos.”)
  3. Underneath your Primary photo, tap on the box with a plus sign inside it.
  4. Tap on “Select Photo” to choose a photo from the files and albums on your mobile device.
  5. When you’ve selected all the photos you want to upload, tap on “Done” in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  6. The upload will begin immediately. If your photo is approved, it will be posted to your profile. There might be a slight delay while we’re reviewing the photo, but it shouldn't take more than 24 hours for the photo to appear on your profile.

On the Match app:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and tap on the “Profile” icon at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on the “Add Photos” option at the top of your profile. (If you already have 26 photos, the “Add Photos” option won’t appear. You’ll need to remove one of your old photos first.)
  3. Tap on the plus sign at the top of the screen.
  4. You’ll have the option to choose a photo from the files and albums on your mobile device, take a new photo with your device’s camera, or import photos from your Facebook account.
  5. You’ll have the option to crop your photo before completing the upload.
  6. The upload will begin immediately. If your photo is approved, it will be posted to your profile. There might be a slight delay while we’re reviewing the photo, but it shouldn't take more than 24 hours for the photo to appear on your profile.

Importing Photos from Facebook

No matter which platform you're using, you can also choose to import photos from your Facebook account. You may be asked to enter your Facebook username and password if it's your first time using this feature. Simply select the photos you want to upload from your Facebook albums. When you’re finished selecting photos, tap on “Upload.” (If you’re using the iPhone app, tap on “Confirm.”)

For Facebook photos with captions, the caption will be submitted for approval as well and it will display with your photo if it's approved. Captions greater than 140 characters will not be imported.

We understand that your privacy is important to you. Importing photos from your Facebook will not result in showing your Match profile to your Facebook friends or posting anything to your timeline without your knowledge.

Importing Photos from Instagram

When you’re using the desktop site or the mobile site, you’ll also have the option to import photos from your Instagram account. You may be asked to enter your Instagram username and password if it's your first time using this feature. Simply select the photos you want to upload from your Instagram. When you’re finished selecting photos, tap on “Upload.” Your upload will begin immediately.

Need help?

If you’ve followed our photo guidelines and you’re still having trouble uploading your photos, please contact us. We’re happy to help!

Removing Photos from your Profile

On the desktop site:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and click on your photo thumbnail in the navigation bar at the top of the page. It’s next to the gear icon, in the upper-right corner of the screen. (If you don’t have a Primary photo yet, this will be a grey circle instead of a photo thumbnail.)
  2. Click on your Primary photo at the top of your profile. (If you don’t have a Primary photo yet, click on the grey silhouette at the top of your profile.)
  3. A “Photos” section will appear on the right side of the page. This is where you can make changes to your photos.
  4. Click on the photo you’d like to delete.
  5. Click on “Delete Photo.”

On the mobile site:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and tap on the “Profile” icon at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on “Add more photos!” (You can also tap on the pencil icon at the top of the page, and then tap on “Photos.”)
  3. Tap on the photo you’d like to delete.
  4. Tap on “Delete Photo.”

On the Match app:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and tap on the “Profile” icon at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on your Primary photo at the top of your profile. (You can also tap on “Edit” and then tap on “Manage Photos.”)
  3. Tap on the photo you’d like to delete.
  4. Tap on the “Delete” option at the top of the screen.
  5. Confirm that you want to delete the photo by tapping on “Delete.”

Editing a Photo

Once a photo has been uploaded, you can't make any changes to it on the site. If you'd like to edit a photo you have already posted on your profile, simply make changes to the original photo on your computer, delete the one on your profile, and upload the new one.

Need help?

If you’re having trouble adding or removing photos, please contact us. We’re happy to help!

Primary and Secondary Photos

If the first photo you upload meets our guidelines for a Primary photo, it will be set as your Primary photo automatically. For a number of good reasons, we ask that your Primary photo include a good, unobstructed view of your face that's big enough for potential matches to see you clearly.

If your photo doesn’t show a good view of your face but it’s perfectly fine in every other way, we’ll approve it as a “Secondary” or “Additional” photo. These photos appear on your profile page, but they can't be set as the Primary photo that appears in search results.

You can upload a total of 26 photos to your profile, but we highly recommend uploading your Primary photo first.

Changing a Primary Photo

If you'd like to replace your current Primary photo, simply follow these steps!

Keep in mind that you can upload a maximum of 26 photos to your profile. If you have 26 Secondary photos on your profile, then you’ll need to delete some photos to make room for uploading a new Primary photo.

On the desktop Match site:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and click on your photo thumbnail in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
  2. Click on your Primary photo at the top of your profile. (You can also scroll down and click on one of your other photos, in the “My Photos” section of your profile.)
  3. A “Photos” section will appear on the right side of the page. This is where you can make changes to your photos.
  4. Click on “Change My Primary Photo.”
  5. Click on the photo you’d like to use as your new Primary photo. The update will happen immediately.

On the mobile Match site:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and tap on the “Profile” icon at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on “Add more photos!” (You can also tap on the pencil icon at the top of the page, and then tap on “Photos.”)
  3. Tap on “Change My Primary Photo.”
  4. Tap on the photo you’d like to use as your new Primary photo. The update will happen immediately.

On the Match app:

  1. Log in to your Match account, and tap on the “Profile” icon at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap on your Primary photo at the top of your profile. (You can also tap on “Edit” and then tap on “Manage Photos.”)
  3. Your Primary photos are indicated by a checkmark on the photo thumbnail. Locate the photo you’d like to use as your new Primary photo.
  4. Drag and drop the photo thumbnail into the Primary photo box. The update will happen immediately.
  5. If you select a photo that isn’t qualified as a Primary photo (one that doesn’t have a checkmark on it), then you won’t be able to drag and drop it into the Primary photo box. You can use drag and drop to re-order your photos, but a Secondary photo can’t be dropped into the Primary photo box.

Photos Not Visible in Search Results

If your photo isn't appearing in search results, then it might still be pending approval, or maybe it wasn't approved. Visit your profile page to see if the photo is still pending approval. If your photo is no longer there, then that photo couldn't be approved for use on the site. In this case, you should have received an email with a more detailed explanation of why the photo wasn't approved.

Please make sure the photos you submit follow these guidelines:

  • Your photo cannot contain any information that could potentially identify who you are (license plate, email or web address, phone number, etc).
  • Nude, obscene, sexual, or otherwise offensive photos will not be posted.
  • Copyrighted material will not be posted.
  • Minors alone in photos (without an adult included) will not be approved.
  • Image files must be received in an approved format and should be less than 5 MB.
  • We accept the following image formats: jpg, bmp, gif, tiff, wmf, png, ico, emf, exif. However, we convert all images to jpg to be viewed by all browsers.

The Way your Photos Appear

Your Primary photo is the most visible aspect of your profile, and it appears everywhere your profile displays, including in Messages, search results, and full profile views.

Cropping Photos

Because the actual display size of your Primary photo in search results isn't very big, we usually select a smaller section of the photo that is meant to highlight your face. We don't do any stretching, squeezing, or color edits, though. And your full photo still appears on your profile page, just the way you uploaded it.

If you would like a photo cropped, you’ll need to do that before you upload it. For instructions on how to crop a photo, we suggest doing a search on the internet for "how to crop a photo." There are literally hundreds of applications and methods for cropping.

Rearranging Photos

You can upload a total of 26 photos to your profile. Your Primary photo will always appear first, at the top of your profile page. If you’d like to rearrange the order of your other photos, simply go into the Photos section on your profile page. You can drag and drop the photos into the order you prefer.

Updating Photos

If you don't like how a photo appears or if you just want a fresh look for your profile, we've made it easy to remove and add new photos.

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