The Verified Badge: What It Means and Why It Matters

You will see a small tick beside some names on this site. Here is exactly what it means, so that you can weigh it properly.

A verified member has done two things. They have confirmed a phone number by entering a code we sent to it, and they have taken a selfie, in the moment, through the app, which is kept on file alongside the photos on their profile. The tick appears only when both are done. It cannot be set by the member, and our moderators can remove it if a profile is later found to be misleading.

It does not mean we have run a background check. It does not mean the person is safe, honest, or single. It means that the phone number is real, and that a selfie taken live through the app is on file, so that if a profile is ever questioned there is something to check it against. That is a narrower promise than some sites imply with their badges, and we would rather make a narrow promise we can keep.

Why does it matter? Because nearly every serious problem on any dating platform begins with a profile that is not who it claims to be. A stolen photo, a fictional job, a number that goes nowhere. Verification does not stop every bad actor, but it stops the lazy ones, which is most of them. And it tells you that the member cared enough to do it.

If you are wondering whether to verify yourself: yes. It takes a few minutes, and people tend to trust a profile that has been through it. Your selfie is kept on file for verification and is never shown on your profile.

If someone you are talking to is not verified, you can simply ask them to be. A genuine person will usually do it happily. A person who finds reasons not to, week after week, has given you information.

And whether a profile is verified or not, the ordinary care still applies: a video call before meeting, a public place for the first coffee, someone who knows where you are. The badge is a good start. It is not a substitute for your own judgment, and we would never want you to treat it as one.