Although the Valentine’s Day holiday has passed, single people are still checking out dating apps to look for love. Although Tinder and Bumble are the most popular among IU students, people of all ages are looking to eharmony, Match, OkCupid, Coffee Meets Bagel, and Hinge to check out the online dating scene.

“Personally I use Tinder, I’ve used Bumble, Her, Hinge, and, yeah those three,” an IU student said.

 

Dating apps are a new and innovative way to use technology to meet new people, but using them could be dangerous if you are not aware of the safety and privacy risks. Last year, a rape occurred on the IU campus after two students met on a dating app.

In order to avoid potential miscommunication or mistaken identity in the future, Experts at eharmony say that it is best to fact check and do your research, only give out your first name, be aware of your app’s GPS settings, and don’t link your other social media accounts to your dating app profile.

The best way to know if your personal information is being protected online is to google yourself. If personal information shows up, consider changing the privacy settings on your social media accounts.

If you decide to meet someone from a dating app in person, IU police say that it is best to do so in a public place.

“I believe that if you meet somebody for the first time or in the first couple of times that it would be better in a public environment with some friends that you trust,” IU Chief of Administration Craig Munroe said.

If you choose to enter the online dating scene, keeping these tips in mind will keep your dating life happy and safe.

For more information about dating app safety, you can visit your app’s Privacy and Security page on their website.