Quick answer: Your Match Preferences guide who we show you. They aren't strict limits, so you'll always see some members outside them.
- Preferences shape your results everywhere, but don't hard-filter them.
- Explore is built to widen the lens and can include members outside your preferences.
- Likes shows anyone who Liked you, whatever their distance or age.
- If few members fit your preferences, you'll see more people outside them. Widening your range helps.
Preferences guide your results; they don't restrict them
Your Match Preferences, including distance and age, tell us the kind of people you want to meet. We use them to decide who to show you first and most often, but they're not strict filters. That's what the Match Preferences screen means when it says they're not strict.
Where you'll notice it most
- Explore widens the lens and can show members outside your preferences. See What are Explore and Most Eligible?
- Likes shows every member who Liked you. Anyone can Like you, so they don't have to match your preferences. See How does the Likes You tab work?
A smaller pool means more members outside your preferences
When not many members fit your preferences, because your distance or age range is narrow or there are fewer members nearby, we show you people beyond them rather than an empty screen. So narrowing your preferences can lead to seeing more members outside them, not fewer. If your results look far away, try widening your distance and age range.