In spite of the clear practicality issues of dating without your date being present, Isodating is actually A LOT easier to get right than IRL dating:

• You can choose your time and place without having to travel +30 mins on public transport
• You needn’t worry about the other person being late, because what’s the worst situation… You’ll still be sat on the sofa, rather than waiting on your own by the bar, thinking you look a bit sad (you don’t, you’re awesome)
• You can end it whenever you want by “accidentally hanging up” or your “battery dying sorry 🙁 x”

But, that said, there is a lot of room for… errors… Let’s call them isodating fails!

Take the man in the featured photo above – let’s call him Steve. Steve is breaking 3 rules of Isodating. Can you work them out? Let’s go through it together, so you don’t make the same mistakes poor old Steve has.

Our tops tips to avoid isodating fails:

1. Check your angles!

Sounds like a rookie error, but make sure to check your camera angles! If you’re trying to impress someone, you may want to avoid showing off more chins than you actually have! Likewise, no one wants to see directly up your nose.

This is a lot easier if you’re on an isodate using a phone, because you’ll constantly be aware of it and able to control it, rather than on a laptop where it’s in a pretty fixed state.

Everybody, by now, roughly knows their “best side”, but this also isn’t a model shoot. So don’t go too heavy on the side profile… or pouting.

2. Check your lighting!

A bit of Goldilocks scenario, just with light instead of porridge. You never want to be TOO lit (in this context anyway). No one needs to get blinded by the bright light shining off your forehead. Similarly, you don’t want to be sat in too deep darkness because… well that’s just creepy as anything. A definite isodating fail!

Choose somewhere with soft light that is welcoming and compliments the chilled nature of the occassion.

Pro-tip: If you are FaceTiming outside in your garden, or on a social distancing walk catching the dappled light through the trees on a walk could also look veeeeeery artsy and romantic.

3. Avoid Messy Backgrounds

I hate to be yer Ma, but CLEAN YOUR ROOM. Absolutely no one wants to see your unwashed pjs hanging off the cupboard behind you. Keep special care of what’s behind you as whatever is in the background is going to represent you! If you’re social distancing at your family house, you may or may not want to be posted up in front of the giant 5 year old family portrait you bought your Dad for his 50th.

Important to remember that no matter what’s in the background, YOU are going to be front and centre so make the most of it and pick somewhere cool or intersting!

4. Avoid people walking in the background

On the topic of what’s in the background, don’t let your parents be there… Now, that’s one of those isodating fails that ruins the mood.

We’ve all been there: “Lou ,where you going?” “Out.” “Who you seeing?” “Doesn’t matter”.

But this time, this person has now been virtually invited into your house for your parents or flatmates to accidentally virtually meet. The last thing you need is your Dad walking in and completely taking you off track from the super interesting conversation you were having.

5. Avoid WIFI deadzones

It doesn’t matter how good looking or interesting you are. If you can’t connect to the internet, your isodate isn’t going anywhere.

Find somewhere in your home where there is a solid internet connection, so the chat can keep flowing. Also, so it doesn’t freeze on an open mouth shot of you mid-speech.

If you try a call with shockingly bad internet, it’s just going to leave a bad taste in your isodate’s mouth and they likely won’t be interested in trying again.

6. Avoid Nudes

DO NOT LISTEN TO THE GIF.

Unless you’ve built up a degree of trust with your date, DO NOT venture into any isodate in your birthday suit. You wouldn’t do it in an actual date, so don’t do it on an isodate.

Consent is important in every form of dating and in every walk of life, so if it gets to that stage of undress, then great and enjoy! But neither of you should look to force the situation upon your date.

7. Avoid eating the wrong food

Ahhhh the old classic. You’re on a dinner date with someone and they order the Bolognese *tut tut*.

Food is something that brings everyone together and isodating over dinner is a great idea! Just don’t risk getting pasta down the great new shirt you decided to show off to your isodate.

There you are friends! Our guide on how to avoid isodating fails. Now, learn from Steve (don’t be like Steve, no one wants to be like Steve) and enjoy yourself!

Remember to follow our blog for more isodating ideas!