Do you know how to use dating apps without giving too much
away? Know how to put yourself out there while maintaining a semblance of
privacy? Not many people do which is why I put this guide together. Dave’s
Computers in New Jersey are fierce supporters of online privacy and firmly
believe we should be able to go about our online business without being
tracked, followed or worse.
Dating apps have changed the world as we know it. Every
single person I know of uses, or has used a dating app. It’s now regarded as
the default way to meet someone new. Love dating apps or loathe them, it is how
relationships are begun now.
To use a dating app, you need to provide enough information
about yourself to attract someone but not enough to expose your identity
online. It’s a fine line to tread but I have some quick tips for maintaining
that balance.
Most dating apps encourage you to link it to Facebook,
Twitter or whatever and some will take data from there and use it on the app.
If the app has the option to keep your dating profile and social media
separate, use it.
We all share too much on social media and it is the work of
minutes to find your name, school, place of work, friends and even your address
from social media. If you link a dating app profile to that, it could lead to
all sorts of trouble. The same for images, a quick reverse image lookup on your
dating profile image could turn up all sorts of things if you use it for
Facebook too.
Having a dating app on your phone can be a license to track
you. It can also expose your phone number or you may end up giving your number
to someone who turns out not to be who you thought they were. If this is your
main phone and you’re partway through a contract, you have work to do to change
your number.
By using a burner, you provide the app no data to use. You
can turn off GPS, location and any tracking feature within any social network
and the number you give out to potential dates is sanitized. In other words,
the number has no links to your real life.
Most dating apps use location as a criteria for showing you
potential dates. This is a very useful system but make sure the area it shows
you as being in isn’t too small. If you’re in New Jersey like us, showing a
square mile will include anything up to 150,000 different people. If you live
in rural Iowa or somewhere, that mile could include six people.
Use a setting that doesn’t give too much away wherever
possible.
We can be anyone we like online. You have probably come
across those profiles already. Those who say they are in their thirties when
they are coming up to retirement or those who say they play sports when they
really mean they played sports while in college. While those untruths are
mostly harmless, there are those out there who prey on people looking for love.
Always have in the back of your mind that the person you’re
talking to could literally be anyone. Don’t give away too much too soon. Dating
is supposed to be an evolutionary process that unfolds over time. Take that
time and use it to gain trust before exposing your soul.
Dating apps are useful and can be a gateway to love. As long
as you can manage your privacy and remain safe, dating apps could be a power
for good.