New Year, New Safety Features: How Online Dating Apps Are Getting Safer

At the onset of every year, we set resolutions for ourselves. Eating better, losing weight, and getting back into the gym are typically the most common, but some people’s goals include spending less, donating more money to charity, and finally getting serious about finding ‘the one’. But individuals aren’t the only ones to plan their resolutions for the new year, it’s also something that businesses are earnest about as well.

For those looking to find love, a number of online dating platforms have made your safety even more of a priority in the new year. This isn’t a new objective, of course. Online dating apps have always put their users first, but they continue to create and roll out new safety features that give singles peace of mind knowing they can be vulnerable with potential love interests without fear of being a target of unsuspecting fraud, harm, or abuse.

This doesn’t mean that scammers won’t still try to infiltrate these dating apps for their advantage, so users must always take their safety into their own hands, but below are some of the new safety features that will make online dating even safer in 2021.

Panic buttons

Ever been on a date that started out good but turned ugly fast? You aren’t the only one. This happens more often than people might think. Most of the time a date turns bad because there isn’t a spark, or the person ends up being more awkward in person than they were online. This is just a normal part of dating. However, there are times when a person could become angry or manipulative, which puts individuals in a very dangerous and uncomfortable situation. In fact, a report by FTI Research showed more than one in four (or 27 percent) of respondents have been defrauded of money by someone using a fraudulent or misleading profile, three in ten have been hurt by someone using a fake profile, and nearly half (44 percent) have been tricked by a person’s profile. Some online dating apps will now feature panic buttons as part of their services. Users that feel unsafe can hit the button, which will allow them to receive safety check-ins and alert authorities to their location if things continue to escalate.

Limited matches

Online dating apps continue to improve upon their algorithms to match singles to the right people. With millions of users, this means that people will be swiping and interacting with a lot of strangers. One platform has started introducing users to potential matches within their social network first, so that users can ask their friends and acquaintances about the people they’re talking to before they choose to meet them in person. This is meant to encourage users to only meet up with people that others can vouch for, so they can be sure they aren’t talking with a scammer or abuser.

Travel alerts

This safety feature is geared directly towards the LGBTQ+ community. In over 70 countries around the world, LGBTQ+ individuals are faced with constant discrimination, which can often be fatal. This new travel alert sends notifications to users who enter into one of these countries and warns them of the potential dangers they could face. By alerting their LGBTQ+ users of risks, these online dating apps can literally save lives.

As online dating platforms continue to get safer, users can feel relaxed knowing these apps are here to support them in their dating journey. In addition to these sites, singles can also use other platforms like MyLife.com as another layer of protection. MyLife’s Reputation Scores let users know of someone’s credibility and trustworthiness, while their Reputation Profiles ensure transparency about who they really are by sharing their social media accounts, their past court records (if they have any), as well as any articles that were written about their past behaviors.

Dating should be exciting, not terrifying. Let MyLife and the dating apps you use help safely lead you to your future soulmate.