4 of the worst dating app profile mistakes that could repel potential matches, according to experts

• Insider spent the year asking experts to review dating app profiles.
• Profiles that flopped used too many posed pictures, pictures of tattoos, and careless bios.

In 2021, dating apps became increasingly necessary for singles looking for sex and love during the pandemic.

Over the past year, our ongoing Dating App Clinic series tapped experts for advice on how to improve readers' dating app profiles.

Here are some of the biggest mistakes our experts spotted in dating app profiles, and their recommendations for improvement.

Aoid posting photos where you are wearing sunglasses

You might look great in a picture where you're wearing sunglasses, but that doesn't mean the photo is dating app material.

"Sunglasses conceal what a person truly looks like," Rori Sassoon, a New York City-based dating expert and co-owner of matchmaking agency Platinum Poire, previously told Insider.

Wearing sunglasses in a picture masks your personality and face, which Sassoon says can deter potential matches.

"Sunglasses are for the sun, not your profile. Let's see those eyes," she said.

Don't post out-of-context photos of your tattoos

Tattoo photos that don't include your whole body or face do a disservice to and detract from the rest of your profile, Sassoon said.

Rather than tattoo pictures, Tobin told Insider people should include photos of themselves with a pet.

Pictures of you and your furry friend show off your personality and convey you have the capacity to be welcoming, loving, and open, Tobin said.

Too many posed photos can make you seem inauthentic

Photos are key to a well-rounded dating profile, as they communicate who you are to the world. How you take these photos can be just as important as what's in them, our experts said.

Rachel DeAlto, Match's chief dating expert and author of the book "Relatable: How to Connect with Anyone, Anywhere (Even If It Scares You), told Insider dating app photos should include a "good mix of up-close and full body."

These photos should also include a blend of candid shots and posed pictures, as too many posed shots can make a person seem rigid or inauthentic, according to Michael Tobin, a clinical psychologist and author of "Riding the Edge: A Love Song to Deborah."

Bios should show off your personality, not your ability to reference pop culture

No dating app profile is complete without a thoughtful bio. DeAlto told Insider users should take advantage of their bio and incorporate a full array of interests rather than something short and snappy to attract like-minded people.

"A lot of people overly use certain quotes or pop culture references. Side note: 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends' are classics in their own right, but they do not differentiate you from a sea of vanilla profiles," Sassoon said.

Tobin said people should also connect their interests to possible activities they want to do with a partner in their profile to convey how a first date could look.

Overall, it's crucial to use the bio section to communicate what you want in a potential partner and what you bring to the table.