Once you pick a number, the instructions will walk you through the rest of the setup. Check in with those friends and find out what they think of the person you’re interested in. Get to know them, but don’t share too many details at first. You should be able to trust those around you to be respectful, safe, and kind, but unfortunately that’s not always reality. Keep a little bit of cash somewhere on your person so that you have money if your bag or wallet gets lost or stolen. In some cases, even a flashlight can make an excellent self-defense tool.
Are users able to control the visibility of their profile?
It’s important to remember that anything you put online is essentially public—that’s true for dating apps too.
On the other hand, apps that focus on more serious relationships will require new users to answer a series of in-depth questions about their preferences and personality.
The safest ones will go as far as to require additional steps to verify or authenticate your account information.
That probably can’t be completely avoided, but if you use an app that requires both parties to express interest before they start messaging, you may get fewer messages that make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Pay attention to the geography settings in dating apps. It is easy to do a reverse image search with Google.
Many dating apps use your location, but strangers shouldn’t have access to information that lets them find your specific neighborhood. If your dating profile has a photo that also shows up on your Instagram or Facebook account, it will be easier for someone to find you on social media. Avoid putting lots of personal details on your profile.Do they have lots of information that would make it easy for a stranger to steal your identity or track you down in real life? It might be less convenient than texting with your phone’s default messaging system, but it gives you extra protection. Set up a Google Voice phone number just for dating.Reevaluate what you’re sharing—even if you’ve got tight privacy settings, there’s the possibility that someone in your friend list could share information from your profile with someone you don’t know. At some point, you may want to talk to someone on the phone before you meet them in person.Don’t include your last name, contact information, or social media account handles.And while you’re checking your online dating profile, check your other social media accounts.Generally speaking, a longer sign-up process means fewer fake accounts on the app.