Wingman was originally conceived to help people break the ice in social situations or to help recoup missed connections. To make this happen, people who use Wingman must upload photos of their face. This way, you can see someone across the room, find their online representation right on your phone, and get in touch if you want. However, if people upload a picture of, say, what they ate for breakfast, it’s exceedingly difficult for other people to recognize them and get in touch.

Another really good way to prevent the Wingman dream from being realized is to show a bunch of photos of bare chests or….other things. While certainly impressive, a photo of your six-pack abs isn’t going to do much for the person who saw you on the street, wanted to get in touch, but couldn’t find you on Wingman because you were unrecognizable. Unless, of course, you were walking down the street with your shirt off. Again, a respectable move, but not really what we’re designing around.

Still another way to reduce of your chances of getting noticed is posting a photo of you and a friend.  What message are you trying to convey here exactly?  Two for one?  How is someone supposed to know which person is you?

This is why we delete photos of anything other than your smiling face. We’re not trying to be mean – we’re just trying to build a community of people who want to bring online dating back to the real world. By leaving your smiling photo around town, you make it possible for someone who maybe crossed paths with you at, for example, the bus stop, to connect with you at a more convenient time.  And by ensuring that the photo is of you, and you only, you’re increasing the chances that someone you haven’t met and who hasn’t seen you in real life will want to strike up a conversation.

So go ahead. Upload a face pic. You have a beautiful smile .