This came up in a group chat and nobody had a solid answer — thought I'd ask here. Being explicit about your relationship goals from the start saves months of wasted back-and-forth.
Teen-focused apps are heavily regulated and age-verified, which makes them genuinely safer than they were. Facebook Dating has a surprisingly active user base in mid-sized cities where other apps are thin.
Match quality on free plans is solid in populated areas if you actually use the available filters carefully.
Safety things I keep in mind:
- A VPN helps with general browsing privacy but is not a complete anonymity solution.
- Never share your real last name, address, or workplace before meeting someone in person for the first time.
- Photo verification features are the most useful safety tool any modern dating app can offer.
- Payment requests from any match should always be treated as a scam regardless of the story.