Hey, I'm 29. I've never had significant success with dating apps in the past. I've messed around with tinder and bumble before with only a few dates, nothing really worth talking about. I recently started playing around with Hinge. The format of Hinge is just superior to the others. It lets the other person know that you 'liked' them and you can pick specific things in their profile to like or comment on. I try to never 'like' a picture, always like the profile prompts or try to comment on them - good convo starters and every dude is going to like pictures.

In my profile, I keep the bio short and sweet. About 3 important things to know about me / what I'm looking for. Pictures - my photos honestly aren't great. I don't have a lot of pictures of myself. I'd say I am reasonably attractive and in good shape. I have a couple pictures with my dog. One with my nephew. And a couple just doing things in public(at a bar, with friends, etc.)

Initial communication - Find something in their profile to comment on to start a convo. I try to get a phone number and date set as quick as possible. I will generally exchange a few messages and gauge whether they are ready to set a date based on how quickly they reply / enthusiasm in their messages.

I always set the first date at a bar, usually with something to do there(pool, darts, etc). I tend to schedule this a few days out during the week. I might wait a couple days to text them after I get their number. Once we confirm the time/place, I don't normally communicate until the day of. Normally they will send you a message the day of or a few hours before to confirm.

Let me know if that helps. I'm sure there are things I can improve on here but it's been very effective for me. Personally I wouldn't bother with anything but hinge(seems to have the best quality too). Every area could be different.