Navigating the world of online dating can be challenging — even with the best dating apps easily at your disposal. With a number of horror stories based on matches gone wrong, feeling safe while looking for a partner online can sometimes feel like a fantasy, especially for those who have already had bad experiences.
Thankfully, Tinder has beefed up its safety features with an incognito mode, along with a few other great additions that ultimately aim to make users feel safer while trying to find partners. Here’s everything you need to know about Tinder’s incognito mode and other security features available in the app.
What is incognito mode on Tinder?
Incognito mode on Tinder is a setting that can be turned on to help people use the app with more privacy. When turned on, a person’s profile will not be recommended to anyone who does not swipe right on it first. This means that you will only be visible to those you have “approved”, allowing you to better customize who you see. This is a great feature for anyone looking to take things at their own pace without recommending it to everyone on the app.
Previously, Tinder had a feature that allowed users to completely hide their profiles from being seen by anyone else. Incognito mode is an evolution of that feature that aims to offer similar privacy but with better matching results.
How to use incognito mode on Tinder
The only major drawback to Tinder’s incognito mode is that it’s not available to everyone — only Tinder Plus, Gold, and Premium subscribers. While it makes sense to keep the app’s best features for its premium subscribers, it’s definitely disappointing that a security feature like incognito mode is only available to paying users.
If you have Tinder Plus, Gold, or Premium, turning the feature on is simple. Open the app, select your profile, and then head to the Settings menu. Scroll down until you find a tab that says Go to stealth mode under see me address and specify it. You will see a pop-up asking you to confirm that you want to use the mode, so be sure to do so.
Once incognito mode is activated, you can continue to use the app as normal, swiping on profiles and messaging as you normally would. The only difference you might notice when using Tinder is that you may have fewer matches since you restrict your visibility.
Why is Tinder incognito mode so important
Incognito mode is a huge step forward for the safety of Tinder users. Just like IRL dating, online dating can be a scary place, especially if you don’t know who can view your profile. With incognito mode activated, users can choose who they allow to see their page in person by swiping right on them. This added level of security makes Tinder a more thoughtful app that reassures users that they are safe while searching for a partner.
Other Tinder privacy features
In addition to the new incognito mode, Tinder also has a blocking feature and something called long press reporting. Blocking someone is as simple as it is on social media, giving users the ability to restrict access to certain accounts. This is great for anyone trying to avoid exes or other people they’d rather not see on their dating apps.
Long press reporting reduces the steps taken to report Tinder user behavior. With this feature, users can simply tap and hold on a message they find inappropriate and report the sender directly through the chat menu.
Although Incognito Mode is only available to people who pay for Tinder, both the Account Blocking and Long Press Reporting features are available for free to all account holders.
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