November 22nd, 2019 | Updated on June 25th, 2021
Dating apps have become a common part of modern-day courtship. For sure, dating websites and apps have offered us a simple and easy route to get connected with people online.
However, they also have put our privacy at stake. Yes, online dating is a wonderful phenomenon to meet new people, but interaction with strangers may spell identity theft and harassment for any of us.
In the fascination of love and romance in online dating, you may land yourself in a Catch-22 situation. You may feel swayed to nurture a feeling of closeness with someone who is a complete stranger.
Your revelation of personal information and in turn, acceptance of others’ private information, may prove to be a safety nightmare (unpleasant dream).
Scammers are smart enough to understand the vulnerability of online dating on dating apps. And this could put a big question mark on your privacy on dating apps. No wonder, an ever-growing number of dating apps are being hacked.
As a result, secret and private information, personal chats, and sensitive photos are being accessed by hackers quite easily. All this has made online dating safety a far cry.
So, that means giving up on your love and strangling your emotions of romancing your would-be soul mate? No way.
There is no need to panic or shy away from using dating websites or dating apps. Rather you need to become aware of the potential risks to your privacy on dating apps and act intelligently. But the question is how?
So, let us walk through the various ins and outs of dating apps to stay safe and secure in the growing monopoly of the digital era, right here, right now:
- Safety Tips—Before plunging into the dating world awaiting you on any dating app, you need to make sure whether the app has any dating safety tips to protect yourself and your privacy? If yes, then see to it whether these safety tips are accessible easily or not.
You can always rely on Nuwber.com for protecting yourself and your privacy on dating apps. That’s true. It is a good resource to find the security of the dating app and act accordingly. After all, your safety is of top priority when it comes to dating online. - Edit Privacy Settings Of Facebook—Many apps including Tinder, Hinge and Bumble allow easy sharing of Facebook and Instagram data through syncing of your account. And your Facebook account may have personal details which you do not like to share with strangers immediately.
Hence, it becomes mandatory to edit all data being used from your social media accounts. This could be your alma matter, primary photo, employer and so on. Remember, you could be easily found on LinkedIn or anywhere else by simply writing your name and your school where you studied (mentioned in your social media accounts). - Exercise Discretion In Sharing Your Personal Information Online—Remember, any information posted online is available to anyone. So, be wary and exercise caution about what you share on dating apps. After all, it’s your duty to protect yourself and your privacy on dating apps by exercising precautions.
Whether it is your picture, contact details or full name, anything you post could allow others to find you online. It is advisable to always use a different photograph for dating app that is not present anywhere else online. Moreover, never put links to your social media accounts on your dating profile. - Turn Off Location Settings—Some of the dating apps may track your location to potential daters. So, make it a point to turn off these settings. However, if any dating app needs your location for some essential function. In such a case, you can set your location settings to a mode where it will be in use only when the app is being operated.
- Use A Google Phone Number For Dating—Before you decide to meet someone in person, it is advisable to talk on the phone. And since you will not feel safe to give your personal phone number to a stranger, it is recommended to use a Google phone number.
You just need to find your area code and select any available number. You will be given instructions for the remaining steps. - Stay Inside A Dating App—Some dating apps do not allow users to share links or photos. Rather, the app allows its messaging system to give you extra security and safety while dating online. If your dating app has such a feature, then it is an excellent security feature.
Yes, having such feature is a sure shot tool to protect yourself and your privacy in dating apps. So, you can simply stay within the app while chatting without sharing any pictures or links.
If your date proves to be a flop or otherwise unsuitable, you don’t need to worry at all as you haven’t shared any personal information or met outside. You are totally safe and ready to date any other potential partner. - Avoid Dating Apps That Allow Unrestricted Messages—You should always choose an app that requires the consent of both the parties before they begin messaging each other. Such a feature can help you protect yourself and your privacy on dating apps.
- Report And Block—Users on dating apps have the facility of reporting and blocking any fake, spam or suspicious users. You can find the option on any dating app after browsing through the guidelines.
- Delete Your Account, Not The Dating App—Once you meet your partner or someone you like, you can simply delete your account on the dating app. There is no need to delete the dating app. Remember, removing or deleting a dating app from your cellphone may not delete your profile from it.
So, once you discover the love of your life, follow the step to delete your account on the app.
Otherwise, you can hide your dating profile for a temporary period if you want to take some time off before looking to date someone else. The dating app will remove your profile from the list of eligible users.
Well, dating is and can continue to be fun but only if you exercise certain precautions and protect yourself and your privacy on dating apps.
The clue is to exercise discretion and limit your exposure on online dating apps as you bask in the newfound glory of the dating world!!!