How to Respond to a Compliment on Bumble

Co-authored by Kai Hynes

Last Updated: November 28, 2021 References

Once you get the hang of dating app etiquette, Bumble can be a really fun and exciting way to meet new people. The first step of learning the dos and don’ts is figuring out how to respond to a compliment. Of course, how you respond will change depending on whether you think the person who gave you the compliment is cute or not. For tips on how to respond to a compliment on Bumble based on where you want the conversation to go, read on!

Method 1

Method 1 of 13:
“Thank you!”

1
Just accept the compliment if you don’t know what to say. Maybe you feel a little caught off guard by a certain comment, or you want to divert attention away from yourself. Either way, it’s nice to acknowledge that the other person is being friendly. After all, it takes a lot of courage to compliment someone!^{[1]
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Go to source} Just know that a simple “thank you” can have different connotations:
- A neutral “Thank you!” keeps the door open for conversation without initiating anything yourself. This leaves continuing the conversation up to the other person.
- A short “Thanks” can tell the other person you appreciated the compliment but aren’t interested in continuing the conversation.
- A lengthy “Thank you so much! That’s so sweet of you to say 😊” implies that you like the attention and want to keep chatting.

Method 2

Method 2 of 13:
“I was going to say the same thing!”

1
Return the compliment to affirm the other person. This tells the other person you appreciated their compliment and want to continue talking. As a general rule, you want to compliment them on something similar to what they complimented you on. Also, avoid going straight for specific comments on their appearance. Look at their profile for ideas on what to say instead!^{[2]
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- “You seem really cool, too 🙂”
- “Your taste in music is just as awesome!”
- “Well, I really love your third photo!”
- “I was hoping you’d message me! 😍”

Method 3

Method 3 of 13:
“Enough about me. Let’s talk about you!”

1
Turn the focus onto the other person. You can immediately redirect the conversation to the other person if praise makes you uncomfortable. After all, a conversation that’s entirely about one person isn’t really a conversation. After accepting the compliment, try getting the other person to talk about themself:
- “Really? 😌 I love your bio so much. How did you come up with that?”
- “I like that picture, too 😁 Do you have a favorite picture on your profile?”
- “Aw, shucks 😇 Well now I need to know more about you! Tell me about yourself.”

Method 4

Method 4 of 13:
“There’s a story behind that!”

1
Explain the backstory behind whatever you’re complimented on. If the person comments on something specific, like a picture in your profile, give them its backstory to move the attention away from compliments and into a real conversation. This can also be a way to show them you have an interesting life and that you’re a real person outside your pictures.^{[3]
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- “My best friend who I’ve known since middle school took that picture!”
- “I was on a vacation with my family when that picture was taken.”
- “I got that hat from my favorite store in the world.”
- “My hair was bleached because I wanted to try something different!”

Method 5

Method 5 of 13:
“Wait, I have the perfect GIF for that.”

1
Respond with a meme to show your sense of humor. GIFs from popular TV shows, movies, and viral videos can be used to respond to a compliment in a funny, lighthearted way. They can also be a way to connect over similar interests! Look at the other person’s profile for any media you both like and send them a GIF or meme from it.^{[4]
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- Try not to use niche GIFs or memes that would require too much explanation, unless you can tell the person you’re talking to would be into obscure references.
- Animal images are always a safe choice!

Method 6

Method 6 of 13:
“Never heard that one before!”

1
Tease the other person to show off your personality. This is especially appropriate if the other person’s “compliment” is a stereotypical pickup line, like “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” Just remember there’s a difference between being playful and mean. Get a read on their sense of humor from their profile. You don’t want to upset them if they’re super serious!
- “Wow, that was smooth 😏”
- “Did you come up with that one yourself? 🤪”
- “I know, right? 😋”

Method 7

Method 7 of 13:
“You’re pretty cute yourself.”

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Play the flirting game if the attraction is mutual. If you receive a flirty compliment that you like, try sending something flirty back. Just be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into! Things can very quickly heat up. Consider trading phone numbers and taking the conversation off the app if sexting becomes something you’re both interested in.^{[5]
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- “You’re dirty 😉”
- “Wanna see more? 😘”
- “Oh my 😳”

Method 8

Method 8 of 13:
“Hahaha!”

1
Show the other person you’re excited about talking to them. Lots of people assume that playing it cool is the way to be attractive. In reality, being aloof can come across as disinterested, especially over text. Use emojis and punctuation, like exclamation points question marks, to show that you’re engaged and interested.^{[6]
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- Consider the difference between “Thanks” and “Thanks! 😄❤️” Which one seems more likely to keep the conversation going?
- Fully spell out words rather than using text lingo when you can, since text lingo can come across as lazy and uncommitted. Compare “Wdym” and “What do you mean?”
- Use all caps sparingly! All caps all the time can come across as TOO enthusiastic, to the point of seeming ingenuine. Compare “YOU’RE SO FUNNY” and “You’re SO funny!”

Method 9

Method 9 of 13:
“How’s it going?”

1
You don’t need the most creative response to keep someone’s interest. Responses that are objectively “basic” actually tend to work well on dating apps. Not everyone can be Shakespeare when it comes to saying something witty or heartfelt! Just make sure you’re trying to keep the conversation going.^{[7]
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Research source} Try asking some simple questions to show that you want to keep talking:
- “So what brings you on Bumble?”
- “What do you like doing in your free time?
- “Have you been up to anything cool recently?”

Method 10

Method 10 of 13:
“I’d really like to get to know you better.”

1
Put effort into taking the conversation beyond flattery. Let the other person know you’re interested in getting to know them better by putting in work to keep the conversation alive. It takes two to make a conversation happen! If you’re struggling with finding things to talk about, try asking each other silly questions or exchanging music playlists.^{[8]
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- “If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”
- “What animal do you relate to most?”
- “You can only bring five objects to a deserted island. What are they?”

Method 11

Method 11 of 13:
“Sorry for the late response!”

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Send a message back soon after you see the other compliment. An integral part to letting someone know you’re interested is consistency. This is especially true for dating over apps. The ideal would be to message multiple times a day, but that isn’t possible for everyone. Just don’t let so much time pass that they think you’re “ghosting” them.^{[9]
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- If you don’t want to respond right away because you’re busy or don’t want to be on the app, you can tell a little lie and say, “I just saw this!”
- If you’re waiting to respond until you come up with something clever, you should let them know. You can just say, “I wanted to wait to respond until I came up with something clever!”

Method 12

Method 12 of 13:
“Thank you, but I’m not interested.”

1
Let them know if you’re not interested to be nice. You don’t have to be invested in every person that messages you. Still, if the compliment is genuine and friendly, it can be nice of you to acknowledge it. Just let them know you’re not interested in continuing the conversation, and leave the conversation at that.
- Again, a short “Thanks” can get the message across that you’re not interested.
- If you’re worried about hurting the other person’s feelings, you can lie and say, “Sorry, I’m actually already talking to someone else.”

Method 13

Method 13 of 13:
“...”

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Ignore messages if you really don’t feel like interacting. It may seem cold, but it’s actually very common on dating apps to not respond to every message. This is especially the case if a “compliment” you receive makes you uncomfortable in any way. Feel free to block people that make you feel unsafe.