Meeting someone from a hookup site: a safety checklist
Most meetups are uneventful in the best way. A few habits make the rare bad one far less likely, and none of them need to kill the mood.
Before you agree to meet
- Video call first, even briefly. It confirms they're the person in the photos and that they're real.
- Reverse-image search a photo or two. Our fake-profile guide explains how.
- Keep chatting on the site until you're comfortable. Its block and report tools only work there.
- Use a second number (a free calling app number, for example) rather than your main one at first.
- Agree on expectations in plain words: what you're both looking for, and what you're not.
- Walk away from anyone who asks for money, a deposit or "verification" before meeting. That's a scam.
Choosing the place
- Meet first somewhere public and busy, like a bar or café, even if you plan to go somewhere private afterwards.
- Get there and leave under your own steam. Don't rely on them for a lift.
- Avoid giving your home address until you've met and feel sure.
Tell someone
- Send a trusted friend the person's profile name, a photo, where you're going and when.
- Share your live location from your phone for the evening.
- Agree a check-in time and a code word that means "call me with an excuse".
On the night
- Keep your phone charged and with you.
- Watch your drink and pace yourself. Don't leave it unattended.
- Trust your gut. You can leave at any point, for any reason, without explaining.
- Consent is ongoing. Either of you can change your mind at any time, and "maybe" isn't yes.
- Bring your own protection and use it.
Privacy
- Don't let anyone photograph or record you without your clear agreement.
- Be careful with photos sent before or after meeting. Keep your face and identifying details out of anything intimate.
- Our hookup app privacy guide covers location settings and photo privacy in detail.
If something goes wrong
- If you're in danger, call your local emergency number (911 in the US).
- Report the person to the dating site so they can act on the account.
- Sexual assault support is available. In the US, RAINN's hotline is 800-656-4673 or rainn.org. Other countries have similar services.