How to Change Tinder Location With VPN
Match-making is a multi-billion dollar industry, and Match Group’s Tinder is the industry’s poster child. The leading online dating app makes a significant portion of its revenue by restricting many features behind a ‘premium’ paywall. One of these abilities is to swipe not just around your location but anywhere in the world; but is it possible to match with people abroad without paying for Tinder gold?
To change your Tinder location with a VPN, install an advanced VPN app, give it proper access on your phone, and connect to a server in the country you plan to change your location. Tinder will then allow you to match with profiles from the location of the proxy’s server.
Throughout this article, you will learn the following:
- How to find the right VPN for Tinder
- How to install and use a VPN to change your tinder locations
- What to do when your VPN does not change tinder location
- How to be successful on Tinder when matching with people abroad
Download a VPN App on Your Mobile Phone
Tinder relies on your Facebook profile or your mobile number to create an account for you. Suppose you sign up to Tinder with your mobile number; your number’s format will tip-off Tinder about your location. However, if you use Facebook to sign into Tinder, the app will not default to your Facebook location. That is because Tinder relies on providing matches in your real-time proximity.
If your Facebook profile states that you live in California, but you are traveling to Turkey, it will provide you with matches in Turkey. Because the app is oriented towards real-time location tracking, it relies on your phone’s location to set your Tinder location. This is the loophole you can use to change your location without Tinder Premium.
However, it is worth noting that not just any VPN app will work as Tinder is very intuitive about users trying to game the matchmaking app by faking their location. Only the most advanced VPNs backed by consistent innovation can stay ahead of Tinder. One such app is ExpressVPN, which can be installed from AppStore on iPhones and Play Store on Android phones.
Signup for the VPN Service
As mentioned earlier, companies like Tinder try to crack down on VPN use actively. This means most free VPN service-providers that rely on revenue from ads displayed while using the service don’t have enough funds to constantly improve their service. That is why, if you are using the right VPN, chances are you will have to pay upfront and sign up for the service.
Therefore, the second step is to follow the on-screen instructions upon the app launch and sign up for the service.
Provide Sufficient Permissions While Installing
After subscribing to the service, you will have sufficient credentials to log in to the app. When you launch the app, chances are you will be requested to give the VPN provider access to your phone’s VPN configuration. To be sure that you are giving this access to a reliable provider, make sure you download a leading VPN service like NordVPN or ExpressVPN.
Whether you will be asked for VPN configuration access before or after signing-up depends on the VPN app. Either way, it is advisable to give this access as, without it, the app will not be able to connect you to a proxy service.
If you provide access on your iPhone, you will be prompted to confirm your choice via touch ID or the phone’s face ID feature. On the other hand, Android installers will mostly need to just hit ‘Okay’ upon receiving the prompt. Some newer phones like Huawei’s latest models may require that you enter your password to confirm the choice.
Once you have allowed the app to change your VPN configuration, you are ready to mask your location for Tinder.
Change Your Location to a Country of Your Choice
When you launch the ExpressVPN app, you will be connected to a Smart Location, which is based on the VPN service provider’s best estimate of what gives the highest speed while masking your location.
While a part of what you want is to hide your true location from Tinder, you probably have a specific country in mind.
For that, you will need to change location through the VPN app’s server list. ExpressVPN has over 94 countries, and this varies from VPN to VPN. That is why it is advisable to read up on your VPN’s list of countries to make sure the VPN actually provides the one you aim to set for your Tinder profile.
Suppose you want to set the location to one of the popular western countries like France or Canada. In that case, you will be able to get the option on most premium VPN apps, but if the country you want to set is obscure or even as small as Sweden, you start facing issues finding VPN providers that have the right proxies. That is because most VPN providers are used to hide one’s location without a specific preference for countries.
You can see the list of countries that ExpressVPN will allow you to assume a location in by clicking here.
Once you have selected the country you want to change your location to, you will need to scroll down to the country’s name and flag and click the flag to get connected to a proxy server that gives you a foreign IP address. Once you have done this, you are ready to appear in a different location on Tinder.
Log in to Tinder
The final step is to log in to Tinder. Many may assume that they need to delete their Tinder or make a new account while they are masking their location with a VPN. That is unnecessary because Tinder users travel and the matchmaking app does not flag change in one’s location as suspicious activity.
In other words, if you use the right VPN and change your location to any country, Tinder automatically overrides your previous location and displays whichever location your VPN is showing your phone to be in.
Pros and Cons of Changing Your Location Using a VPN
As with any method of getting things done, this method has its limitations and its advantages. To make sure you are making an informed decision, it is advisable to consider the pros and cons of using a VPN to change your Tinder location.
Pros of Using a VPN
It Is Much Cheaper
If you are changing your location to Russia, for example, chances are you are interested in matching with a Russian. Without a VPN, you have the option to swipe across potential matches in Russia as a Tinder Gold user. However, there is a significantly higher cost attached to Tinder Gold. ExpressVPN is much more affordable and allows you a thirty-day money-back guarantee.
It Looks Better on Your Credit Card Bill
While paying for Tinder Gold to be able to swipe in different locations seems like a straightforward method of matching with people abroad, there is the problem of Tinder showing up on your bank statements. Many people do not mind this, but those who prefer discretion would rather not have a matchmaking app show up among their expenses.
On the other hand, a VPN app showing up among your expenses does not raise too many eyebrows because VPN services can be used for different, legitimate purposes like protecting your privacy.
It Is a Multi-Purpose Solution
When you subscribe to Tinder Gold, you are paying only for privileges within the Tinder app. On the other hand, when you pay for a VPN provider, you can access benefits like using the service on multiple devices, accessing content online that is restricted by location, and protecting your browsing history from being tracked.
It Doesn’t Reveal Your True Location
When you are swiping in Spain using a Spanish proxy through your VPN, your own location appears to be in Spain, even if you are in Las Vegas. On the other hand, if you use Tinder Gold to find potential matches in Spain, they will see your location like Las Vegas, which will reveal that you have liked them because most options will be from Spain.
Furthermore, many people may not want to swipe right on someone too far because they aren’t interested in a long-distance relationship.
Cons of Using a VPN
Allows You Little Control Over Location
Between the two methods of changing your location on Tinder, using Tinder Gold is superior if you are looking for a specific location to swipe in. With a VPN, the providers’ focus is to give you options for countries to appear in. However, you have little control over which city or town a server will appear in.
To make it worse, certain VPNs provide only one server in each country. That leaves you with the option to swipe in one city, town, or village in the entire country. On the other hand, Tinder Gold allows you to change your swiping location to any city, town, or suburb that is on Google Maps or Facebook’s Maps.
How to combat this drawback: You can find some middle ground by opting for a VPN that has more servers than the country options it provides. For instance, Express VPN provides access to 160 locations in 90 countries with 3000 servers. This gives you at least two location options within most countries.
It Can Stop Working
When you pay for a VPN service provider to browse different locations with Tinder, you always risk Tinder wisening up to the VPN and realizing that you are not really browsing from a foreign country. If this happens, you will have potentially wasted the money you spent on getting a VPN subscription.
How to combat this drawback: Do not buy a VPN service that does not have a history of improving its masking abilities. ExpressVPN is reliable because it has improved its service and has constantly beat Netflix and Tinder’s tracking abilities.
As the VPN provider is one of the most used ones in the world, it has enough funds to invest in constant research and development. If you opt for a different VPN, we would advise subscribing to monthly payments so you don’t end up paying for a whole year when the VPN may end up becoming useless after a month.
Why Is My VPN Not Working With Tinder?
Suppose you have just installed a VPN application on your phone and are excited to browse a different location via Tinder. In that case, you might be disappointed to notice that Tinder continues to show your current location, and all the potential matches are within your current radius.
Your VPN might not work with Tinder if you have not given the VPN provider the right access to change your VPN configuration. Alternatively, your VPN app might only be masking your browser traffic. As a result, your apps can still access your current location.
To fix this, you will need to switch to a superior VPN and give it VPN configuration access upon installation, as is listed in the installation guide above. If the problem occurs with a premium VPN like ExpressVPN, you can drop an email to the provider’s 24/7 Customer Service desk, and you will be walked through a solution.
How to Get Matches Abroad on Tinder
Now that you have the ability to match with men and women anywhere in the world, it is time to polish your Tinder flirting skills, so you not only match with more people but build connections that turn into something more fruitful.
Have Your True Best Photo on Your Tinder Profile
It is obvious that when it comes to getting matches on Tinder, you have to put your best foot forward. And since the platform is very visual, you have to use your best photos. However, what we overestimate is our ability to judge our own appeal. It turns out that not only do we find ourselves 30% more attractive, we find the wrong things about ourselves more attractive.
Let’s suppose you are a heterosexual male. When you find your “best picture,” you are actually finding the best picture according to a man’s taste. But since you want to match with a woman, this is the criteria for judging your pictures. This also applies to women hoping to meet a man while uploading pictures they find most attractive.
While homosexual individuals do not have this dilemma, they still have a personal bias towards their own image and maybe posting less-than-ideal images of themselves. To make sure you are using your “true” best photos, take at least ten of your best photos and let strangers vote on which one is the best.
It was initially recommended that one ask their friends of the opposite gender. But because there is history and a personal dynamic, it is nearly impossible even for your friends to tell you which picture of yours is the best.
To get true strangers’ opinions on your photos, go to Photofeeler and put your pictures up for a vote with the demographic you plan to attract. You not only get to choose the gender of the people who will vote on your photos and leave feedback, but you also have the option to narrow the age range of your feedback-providers. The viewers can leave behind comments for you as well.
Pick the five best-received photos and use them for your Tinder profile.
Curate According to Their Cultural Standards
Aside from uploading your best pictures, you want to convey social status and attractiveness by the standards of the country you are swiping in. While you cannot physically morph into a Brazilian or a French person, you can change certain aspects.
- Hair – Hair is one of the most versatile natural accessories available to us. Regardless of whether you are a man or woman, you can wear your hair in many ways, including curls, braids, and straight. You can also color your hair to fit the image of attractiveness within a country’s popular culture. If you are a man, you can also customize your facial hair to match the demographic you are trying to attract.
- Sense of style – How you dress and how you accessorize say a lot about you. However, different countries consider different styles to be attractive. It is worth knowing which one you should adopt.
To find out how you can optimize your appearance to be the most attractive to foreign partners, let’s suppose you are a heterosexual man trying to find a Brazilian woman. While a VPN will give you access to swipe in Brazil, you will need to Google’ Top Brazilian Male models’ to get an idea of what is common among them.
While fitness and symmetry are universally common among most models, you should pay attention to their hair and general style. Adopting a similar style and hairstyle will signal your appeal on a subconscious level.
Use the Golden Opener
When you match someone on Tinder, one of the hardest things to do is come up with an opening line. Most people either copy-paste a one-liner or try to be extra clever only to appear too eager and fail.
An attractive person’s Tinder experience involves getting hundreds of compliments on their appearance. Some matches try to stand out by giving negative comments, but because online chatting isn’t a medium that can carry the tone of humor really well, most backhanded compliments and subtle takedowns only serve to break the rapport.
This may make you wonder how you can make your match feel special and open a conversation without sounding like you are using a canned line.
Simply start your conversation by letting them know that you’re flying out of the country and are glad that they are the last person you matched with. This not only makes them feel special for reasons other than their looks but also justifies you swiping in their vicinity and not being able to meet them anytime soon.
Furthermore, it filters out people who don’t want to connect with someone abroad and is not exactly a line multiple people are able to copy-paste because it is more of an idea, and you get to form your own words.
Ask Them to Teach You Their Language
As mentioned earlier, the more you try to appeal or give value to them while chatting, the more desperate you will seem. To decrease the neediness without completely abandoning the conversation, you will need to make a high-status conversational move.
A great way to do this is by asking them to help you speak a few phrases in their native language. Though this isn’t a big ask, it is a high-status move to get your match to help you. Sales psychology has revealed that if you get someone to do you a favor, they feel closer to you and are likely to agree to bigger favors in the future.
While it is possible to prolong a conversation with a match by volunteering to teach them your language, it is too needy and eager, making you seem lower status. When you flip the script, however, you are building rapport and learning a new language. It is worth mentioning, though, that you don’t want to turn your conversation into a language lesson.
Give Indirect Compliments but Don’t Make Them Backhanded
Recently it has become popularized to take down a potential partner a few notches by indirectly attacking their self-esteem. However, the game of appealing to your matches is not about manipulating them into needing your approval. They have already matched with you and find you attractive enough.
The entire game from there is to appear different enough from all their other matches. Unfortunately, most of their matches will fall under two broad categories if they are female. A large number of their matches will be giving cringey compliments while the other half would be busy being mean to them.
You can stand out by giving compliments but without being too direct. A great way to do this is with the language teaching as mentioned earlier in this article. When you ask them to teach you a few phrases, instead of asking them to tell you how to say “thank you” or “hello” in their native language, be more precise.
Ask them to teach you how to say “you have beautiful hair” in their native language and when they tell you, simply say, “Now I know what I’ll say to you when we meet.”
While this is more likely to work on women because of how saturated their inbox is with direct compliments, it works well with men, too, even though a more direct compliment would register better.
Make Them Compliment You
Psychology suggests that no matter the actions we take and words we say, we internally rationalize the behavior after the fact. You can use this to get your partner to find you more attractive. As mentioned earlier, you will have to get them to agree to teach you a few phrases in their native language. This is a fun little game, but you should follow the steps exactly.
The first step is to find out how to thank them in their native tongue without asking them. Google is pretty reliable in translating ‘Thank You,’ so find out how to say it in their language. They will not know that you know how to say this.
Let’s suppose you matched with a Lebanese girl and have asked her to teach you a phrase in Arabic. You already know via Google that Thank You in Arabic is ‘Shukran.’ When she asks which phrase you want to be translated, simply say ‘How do I say “you have great eyes” in Arabic?’ And when she says ‘You have great eyes’ as a response, pretend like she just complimented you and reply “Shukran.”
If the joke flies over her head, you can give it another try by simply saying, “aside from my eyes, what else made you match with me?” But it is advisable to let the joke slide if they did not catch up on it. There is no point in forcing humor. But if they end up realizing that they did accidentally compliment you, according to the human tendency to rationalize, they will likely think, ‘Well, he does have nice eyes actually.’
Final Thoughts
Tinder restricts basic accounts from matching with millions of users all over the world. And while it is possible to use Tinger Gold to match with people in other countries, you need to pay a lot, and your actual location still shows to the foreigners you are matching with. A more affordable way to swipe with potential matches in other countries is via a VPN.
Here is a recap of the post:
- Find a premium VPN like ExpressVPN because it doesn’t get detected by Tinder.
- Install the app and give it access to change your VPN settings.
- Click on the country of your choice and connect to its proxy server.
- Once your location is changed on your phone, Tinder will automatically update your displayed location and swiping options.
