Dating Account Security and Privacy
A dating account leaks more than most people expect, and four settings account for most of it.
Location precision
Apps show proximity either as a rounded band or as something finer. Anything finer can be triangulated by someone willing to move around and watch the number change, which has been demonstrated repeatedly against apps in this category.
Where a coarse setting exists, use it. Matching does not get meaningfully worse at neighbourhood resolution, and precise distance is the mechanism behind the documented cases of users being located. Grant location only while using the app, never always.
What your photos give away
Check the background of every photo rather than the subject. A house number, a car registration, a work lanyard, a view from a window, or a recognisable local landmark each narrow a stranger's search radius considerably.
Photos also travel: anything visible to a match can be screenshotted, including in apps whose interface implies otherwise. Private albums unlock permanently in practice, because the recipient can capture before you relock.
The billing descriptor
This is the one people forget. What appears on a card statement is visible to anyone who shares the account, and it is set by the platform, not by you. Some publish it; where none is published, asking support before subscribing is reasonable and the answer is informative either way.
Notification previews and the app icon
Message previews on a lock screen are readable by anyone who picks up the phone. On iOS and Android both, previews can be hidden per app in a couple of taps, and the setting is normally on by default.
Passwords and account recovery
Use a password nothing else uses, because a dating platform is a higher-value breach target than its size suggests. Where the platform offers two-factor authentication, turn it on.
If you sign in with Apple and use Hide My Email, keep the relay address enabled for as long as the account exists. Disabling it later locks you out of recovery and billing receipts.
Deleting properly
Deleting the app does not delete the account, and deleting the account does not cancel a subscription bought through an app store. Those are three separate actions. Ask for a copy of your data before deletion if you want your message history, because export and erasure are separate requests and the second does not include the first.