How OkCupid shows off your individuality (in ways other apps don’t)

We do things a little differently than other dating apps. Here’s why.

Compared to other dating apps, OkCupid believes that your individuality (as opposed to just a photo and sentence) should be front and center.

We get it. There are lots of dating apps out there that do fun things, like giving you photo filters with cocktail stickers or an endless pool of random people to swipe through. Okay, we’re being facetious, for a reason — those “features” don’t treat you as an individual.

OkCupid, on the other hand, gives you places to show off who you really are — your opinions, your likes and dislikes, and of course, your photos. That way, you’re not only showing off who you are, but you’re also not wasting time dating someone who has a great picture, but lacks any substance.

Here are three key ways that OkCupid lets you actually show off who you are. (Because we’d wager that your cocktail of choice isn’t the most accurate indicator of your personality.)

OkCupid’s Iconic Questions

Should the US build a wall between the US & Mexico? Do you think the military should ban transgender people from service? How do you feel about kids?

Answer questions ranging from political identity to bedroom questions to see people you’ll jive with.

These are just a few of the thousands of questions you’re able to answer, for a few reasons. Not only do questions help you express your beliefs on your lifestyle, politics and social views — they also help us match you with people who agree with you on those hard-hitting issues. So you can rest assured knowing that your hot Friday night date isn’t, well, “sad!”

Profile Essays

Maybe you’re an off-season sea captain who has an art gallery in Brooklyn. Or perhaps you’ve lived in eight different countries and are a renowned polyglot. Whatever your unique traits may be — we give you the space to share. Tell future dates what you’re good at. Your favorite movies. What you’re looking for (and what you’re not into). The ways you can say “I make a mean pasta salad” in eight different languages.

Say as much (or a little) as you want — this helps people send more thoughtful messages.

Why the long profiles? We believe that you’re so much more than a selfie and a sentence. That’s why we give you the space to let people know what makes you, you.

Photo Commenting

Sometimes when you see a profile you dig, it’s hard to know how to kick off a conversation that a) compliments them b) shows them you’re a calm, cool, collected individual and c) leads to a date. That’s where our newest feature Photo Commenting comes in.

Not sure where to start the conversation? Tap the message icon next to their photo to leave a comment about it.

If you see someone’s photo you like, tap the small messaging icon to the right of the photo. From there, you can leave a private comment that kicks off a messaging thread.

We could go on about other features that show off how OkCupid helps you present yourself as a person (and not a photo), but we’ll leave that up to you to explore. Happy dating!