This comes up all the time so here's my complete breakdown.
Privacy defaults are almost never in your favor. First thing I do anywhere new is go through every setting before posting anything.
Things that have genuinely helped me:
- Short bios outperform long ones on most swipe-based apps
- Responding quickly in the first 24 hours makes a difference
- Niche platforms often outperform general ones for specific demographics
- Profile photos should feel natural, not heavily filtered
Currently using Luvdate as my main go-to and it's been solid. No major issues, decent activity, enough control over settings.
Hope that gives you something concrete to work with.