Key Takeaways

It’s time to do some spring cleaning — not in your house, but in your dating profile. 

The dating app Hily surveyed 3,700 Gen Z and millennial daters about their dating profile maintenance habits. They uncovered a lot of dirt, and in more ways than one. 

The survey found that 1 in 10 respondents refuse to update their profile pics, even when their appearance changes. This may lead to a startling trend, according to Hily: “Over 50% of young Americans have been on a date with someone who looked different from their dating profile pictures.” 

No one wants to be a victim of “kittenfishing”, a version of catfishing in which someone uses old photos that don’t accurately reflect their current appearance. But Hily found that 45% of Gen Z and 33% of millennials are guilty of kittenfishing anyway. 

Old Photos Are a Major Turnoff, Respondents Say 

Using old photos in profile pictures may not seem like a big deal, but Hily’s survey respondents disagree.

“It appears that this deception has led to a lot of second (and even first) dates simply never happening,” according to the app. In fact, 54% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials surveyed reported this issue. 

And yet, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 4 men in the survey said haven’t updated their profile pictures in over six months. As Hily pointed out, “A lot can happen in that time.” 

People go on fitness kicks, cut their hair, get tattoos, gain or lose weight — all of which can drastically change their appearance over a six-month period, and create a false first impression. 

This is something 1 in 10 Americans are likely to do, which is why, as Hily said, “Dating profiles are ready for a spring cleaning.” 

Dating Apps Must Answer to Our Self-Doubt and Laziness

Before dating apps can come up with ways to combat kittenfishing, they should understand why people do it in the first place. It turns out that kittenfishing isn’t always intentionally deceptive.

Hily reported that 32% of Gen Z women in the survey said they neglect to update their photos because they’re afraid of being judged. Meanwhile, 34% of millennial men said they feel that updating their pics won’t make much difference in how they’ve perceived by potential matches. 

One in 4 people hesitate to update their profile pictures because they’re unsure which photos work best. 

Laziness does come into play, especially among young men; Hily found that 19% of both Gen Z and millennial men said they simply can’t be bothered to update their profile pictures. However, the app also found that men can be motivated to update their profiles if it increases their chances of romantic success. 

With more men than women on dating apps, dating app companies should know what motivates men to update their profiles. 

Dating App Users Value Authenticity, Visibility, and Accountability 

Forty-four percent of men in the survey said they are motivated by the idea of taking high-quality new photos that “better represent” them. Forty-three percent of men said they will update their profiles if they’re simply not getting matches with their current photos. 

More than half of surveyed women agreed that a high-quality photo that puts them in a better light would encourage them to update their profile. 

Thirty-seven percent of men (vs. 26% of women) in the survey said they update specific photos because they want to improve their visibility on the app. 

If authenticity, visibility, and accountability are easier to accomplish on dating apps, then people may be more proactive about their profile photos — and less likely to kittenfish. 

Participating in Hily’s survey changed some people’s point of view, according to the dating app. “Forty-nine percent of men and over 60% of women said they were likely to do an overhaul after taking the survey,” the app concluded. 

Dating apps have the power to hold users accountable when it comes to authenticity. Periodic reminders to update one’s profile pictures could resonate with dating app users, particularly millennials, who, according to Hily, reported being “kittenfished” the most. 

Some dating apps have already tried to help users sharpen their profile pics and bios. Hinge recently released a Profile Refresh guide, which highlights its Top Photo feature. Other dating apps have implemented AI features to improve user bios. 

In 2023, 64% of Tinder users reportedly craved authenticity, even if it meant showing a side of themselves others would see as “cringy”. Dating apps can make this kind of authenticity possible by implementing periodic photo updates and improved camera features.