Throughout the latter months of 2022, Tinder has been rolling out a new feature from India to the Netherlands. Well, lots of new features actually.
But this isn’t a new game to see if you’re compatible with a match or a fresh way to categorize the hotties in your area. It’s not a new photo frame, either, or a tie-in with a TV series.
This is Tinder Safety Center. ‘What is Tinder Safety Center?’ I hear you cry. Well, let’s get into it.
Okay, it’s not the most fun or sexy new feature ever rolled out by a dating app. But Tinder’s newest play to remain top of the dating app big leagues is that rare thing – a genuinely useful and, dare I say it, thoughtful dating app feature.
Dude Hack Exclusive Offers
What Is Tinder Safety Center?
Basically, Safety Center on Tinder is a central space that keeps you informed of available Tinder safety features and how to access them.
As such, it is constantly updated with new info and, tools and features. It also contains 101 dating safety advice and quizzes on that advice with questions like:
You and your match live close together. They ask for your address to work out just how close. Do you give it to them? Yes or No.
The answer here, by the way, is no way, Jose! Sure, once I’ve met someone and scoped them out I might have them over for some Netflix and chill time on date two or three, but I’m not giving some potential internet weirdo my full address.
Related: Is It Safe To Use A Phone Number On Tinder? What Are The Alternatives?
I’d lie awake all night waiting for them to chuck pebbles at the window. Or worse, climb up all Dawson’s Creek style (there’s a reference that will go whoosh right over any Gen Z readers’ heads) and try to get in.
Imagine waking up to the face of your latest Tinder match at the window, and only then realizing they clearly used photos from at least five years ago on their profile.
No thanks!
The safety center is localized, and also contains resources such as the numbers for various hotlines and helplines where you are. These include domestic violence hotlines and hotlines for LGBTQ+ issues amongst others.
Finally, there are tools within the Tinder Safety Center. You can now report straight from the safety center, as well as change your privacy settings. You can also read guides on how to unmatch and how to get verified.
How To Use Tinder Safety Center
‘Thanks, Steve,’ you say, ‘that’s really helpful.’ But I see your eyes rolling! What’s up? ‘Well,’ you add, ‘How do I use Tinder Safety Center? You left that bit out…’
Okay, fair. Well, here we go then, here’s how to access and use Tinder Safety Center, Tinder’s new safety hub.
If you’re in an area where Safety Center has been rolled out, you can access it one of two ways. You might have noticed a new icon floating in the bottom right corner when you’re chatting on Tinder.
This blue badge or shield is a direct link to Tinder Safety Center. Hit it if you need to get there straight from chat, including if you want to report or block whoever you’re talking to.
You can also access Tinder Safety Center through your profile page, where it appears in the same area as ‘Add Media’ and ‘Settings’.
Whichever way you get to the Tinder Safety Center, you’ll find the same features once there. The top navigation menu consists of ‘Guide’, ‘Tools’ and ‘Resources’. They contain the following:
Tinder Safety Center: Guide
The ‘Guide’ section of the Safety Center includes several subsections, which you can scroll through.
In ‘Reporting’ you will find guides on ‘What to Report’, ‘How To Report Someone’ and ‘What Happens After I Report?’
The next subsection, Safety, offers a guide to ‘The Basics’ of both IRL and online dating as well as quizzes on ‘Online Dating Safety’ and ‘Tinder Community Guidelines’.
Next comes Harassment, with a ‘How to Deal’ guide along with a list of ‘7 Times it’s Perfectly Acceptable to Ghost Someone’ – because safety is more important than politeness, tbh.
‘In Real Life’ contains ‘Your IRL Guide’, and a quiz to follow up. Then there’s ‘Consent 101’ and in Travel, ‘The Dos and Don’ts’
Hopefully, that covers most of what you need to know, safety-wise!
Tinder Safety Center: Tools
Tools is a shorter section (for the moment at least). It contains shortcuts to report a user, and to privacy settings. There are also visual guides to both unmatching and getting verified.
Tinder Safety Center: Resources
The final section, Resources, contains useful phone numbers for safety issues ranging from child protection charities to the Salvation Army and the Human Trafficking Foundation.
Where Is Tinder Safety Center Available?
At present, Tinder Safety Center is available in the UK, the USA, Germany, India, and the Netherlands. It will be rolled out in other territories throughout the rest of 2022 and beyond.
Tinder Safety Center: Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that Tinder Safety Center is a good idea. It centralizes some safety features that already existed, as well as introducing new Guides, and allowing access to outside resources and support.
Being able to get to the Safety Center from the chat is a great touch, but the question remains: is this enough? There is still no way to easily contact Tinder directly about safety issues, which might be a good idea.
Overall, though, this is a step in the right direction. Dating sites generally are beginning to understand their responsibility toward the safety of their users.
Tinder has been doing a lot of updates lately. To find out more, check out my Guide to Tinder, or my Guide to the new Tinder Vibes. And if Tinder isn’t for you? How about taking the Dude Hack quiz on the best choice of dating app for you.
