Your advice is good. As for what makes someone like another, I think physical attractiveness is just one criteria. Usually people look for a mix of things. Sure, they want someone they find physically attractive, but also someone that they like to talk to. That is why the hobbies work. Also, depending of the dating apps, you can see more information on the person. Even at a picture, the way people dress or what are they doing at the picture gives us information. Let's say that women swipe right and left depending on the impression they make. To put an example, some women doesn't want men with children. That has nothing to do with physical attractiveness but with their idea of what they want in a boyfriend. Some people like me pay attention to things like favourite book. We might not tell the men what our overal reason for swipe one way or another is, so they might assume it is only physical. But that tells us more on those men criteria (like they assume we have the same criteria).

Maybe part of the struggle has to do with men assuming that only looks matters, so they are not showing their best qualities. Outside the apps, those qualities might show up.

Still, certain language like "high/low quality" show certain values. If the person reading is like me, it would identify the "clues" and discard the man using it based on his values (treating people as things, which I dislike). The problem isn't really the apps, but the attitude some people have when using the apps. Remember, things like show skin or not, the T-shirt meme or chosing to appear at the montain or a beach tell a story. When you chose the show in your underwear at an unmade bed in a room that is a mess, all the physical attractiveness you think you have might go down the drain. So how are that self reported physicall attractiveness is showed?

Anyway, your point about hobbies stand. It is a good way to meet people and some of them might want to date you. Also, you would avoid the most terrible selfies that way. hahaha