How to Know if Someone Is on Tinder and Dating You at the Same Time

You’ve dated this person for a while now, but there’s something about them you can’t put your finger on. Learn how to know if someone is on Tinder still.

You may be dating someone and just feel that they’re not 100% into the relationship. Or you may be in a longterm relationship and notice a slight shift in their behavior, making you think that maybe their eyes are wandering. If you want to learn how to know if someone is on Tinder, read on. Just prepare yourself for the results.

I totally understand the paranoia. Nowadays, we all have access to millions of people with just a swipe of a finger. Really, we’re being fed more options than ever, and this scares many of us.

How to know if someone is on Tinder: 12 different ways

Well, I can’t bash Tinder completely, it is where I met my partner. But before I met him, I went on a lot of dates with Tinder matches. It was fun! You meet new people, go on a date, and then figure out if they’re worth any more of your time. Usually, the answer was no.

Of course, when I started dating my partner, I was terrified that he was still on Tinder and that I was just an option for him. Okay, that was mostly my insecurities speaking rather than the truth, but you probably understand what I mean or else you wouldn’t be reading this. [Read: How to stop feeling insecure in a relationship]

But listen, don’t freak out just yet. If you want to learn how to know if someone is on Tinder, well, you can find out. Dating will never be the same.

#1 Ask them. If you really want to know if someone is on Tinder, you can always ask them. Of course, you’ll never be sure if they’re telling you the truth, but this is where trust comes in.

That being said, since you already have this gut feeling that something’s going on, your trust in them seems to be wavering. [Read: Can a relationship without trust last?]

#2 Join Tinder. I had a friend do this once. They weren’t sure if their partner was cheating on them, so they joined Tinder and started swiping. Of course, since they live close to each other, he showed up in her swipes. Well, the rest was history. Literally, history. What else can you do when you find your partner on Tinder?

#3 They update their photo/bio. If they’ve updated their photo or switched them around, then they’ve been active on their account. Tinder, depending on if you have this feature activated or not, will switch the photos around depending on which one receives the best results.

So, I wouldn’t rely on that, but if they completely change their photo, they’ve been on it and they’re looking. [Read: Emotional maturity: 13 clues to know if someone has it]

#4 Their location updates. Now, if someone doesn’t open their Tinder account, it won’t update their location. But, if someone opens their account, their location is immediately connected to the app and the location is then updated.

This is something even they can’t control. Most of us forget about this feature, so it’s a good one to pay attention to.

#5 They like a message. If they like a message you’ve sent them, they’re active on Tinder. If they reply or write you, they’re active on Tinder. When you’re active on Tinder, your phone is sent notifications alerting you that someone wrote you or matched with you. If they respond, they opened the app. [Read: 18 ingenious ways to catch a cheater in the act]

#6 Pay and find out. So, with the invention of Tinder came the invention of a couple of helpful apps to help you find out if someone is active on Tinder.

These apps, which you must pay for, will swipe through users until they find the one you’re looking for. Now, this technology isn’t yet that advanced, but it can help you out when you’re desperate to find out if they’re on Tinder.

#7 There isn’t a direct way to find out. Though you can pay for an app that uses bots to swipe through users and find a specific person, there isn’t a direct way to find out if someone is on Tinder. In other words, you can’t go on Tinder and hit a search bar and look them up and have their profile pop up. It doesn’t work that way. [Read: Are you dating a serial cheater?] 

#8 They unmatched you. Well, if they’ve unmatched you, you know that they at least were active when removing you from their Tinder. Do you know if they’re active on Tinder? Nope.

But this gives you enough information to know that they opened their account and looked for you. To delete you. Sorry. I know, it’s harsh to be unmatched.

#9 Go on your friend’s Tinder. Now, maybe you don’t want to download Tinder, thinking it’ll create more drama than necessary. So, why not get your friends to go through Tinder, seeing if they can find this person.

It may be a little easier when it comes to confrontation if you’re going to confront them on it. I mean, your friend saw them on Tinder, not you. [Read: How to know if your partner is under someone else’s spell]

#10 You can’t really find out. Here’s the thing, there’s no real way to find out. Sure, you can see if they have an account on Tinder, but we all have accounts on Tinder. I’ve accidentally opened my Tinder app when I was starting to see someone, does that make me active on Tinder? No. You can pay to find out as well, but the only person who knows how active they are on Tinder is them.

#11 They’re casually dating. Now, this doesn’t strictly mean that they’re on Tinder, but it means they’re not looking for anything serious. Some people don’t need Tinder to get casual hookups. Let’s be honest, most of us will resort to Tinder because it cuts through the small talk. [Read: What to do when you’re feeling uncertain about your relationship]

#12 They’re big travelers. Again, I don’t want to generalize and say that everyone who travels is on Tinder. But if this person is a big traveler and spends most of their time away from home, Tinder will certainly help them when they’re feeling a little lonely.

Tinder is a great way to connect with people while you’re on the road and want to hook up with no-strings-attached.

[Read: The sneaky giveaways of a potential cheater]

Tinder definitely made the dating game easier, but that also means so is cheating. Learn how to know if someone is on Tinder while still dating you.