Protecting your identity while using online dating apps is important. In fact, one study conducted at the beginning of 2020 found that 60% of female users said that someone on a dating app or website continued to harass and contact them after they said they weren’t interested.
When you’re just getting to know someone, there’s really no need to give them any personal information. However, when it comes time to move off the app and chat via text or phone calls, what do you do? A fake phone number is a perfect solution.
You can get a Burner number for Tinder (or whichever dating app you’re using). And, if things go well, you can keep the Burner number as a great way to interact with semi-strangers and others in your personal and professional life who don’t need access to your real phone number.
What to Know About the Safety of Online Dating
Online dating apps create a buffer between you and a potential match. They allow you to safely connect with someone and chat through a third-party platform without sharing too much personal information. But, eventually, if you’re going to meet up with that person or begin to actually date, you’ll need to share some personal info, right?
The CEO of Scruff, an online dating app for gay men, once shared his thoughts on giving out your real number to people you meet online. “If you switch from the app to text messaging,” he said, “there’s no community support to protect you and it’s going to be much harder for you to get help if there’s some kind of issue.”
So, before even moving off the app, whether you’re using a fake phone number or not, it’s important to think about whether or not you’re ready to leave the safety of the online community in the app (and the support their team offers you).
It’s super important to take precautions when online dating. Why? 1 in 10 online profiles is a scammer, and 53% of online daters are exaggerating or lying in their profiles.
To assess the safety of a potential Tinder date or Bumble meet-up, think about how you’d approach the situation. You’re inclined to ask for their phone number or Instagram account just to verify that they’re real. Well, they’re doing the same thing with your information before the date, too.
Think about:
- How easily accessible is your information to the public?
- Can someone find your social media accounts using a reverse image search?
- Is your information available on Spokeo?
- Is it easy to find you on LinkedIn?
These are just basic questions, of course. But, if you’re not comfortable with a potential date knowing any of the above points or having access to that kind of information, you’ll definitely want to think about using the Burner phone app.
Why You Should Use a Fake Number for Online Dating
Listen. For real, nobody who’s not part of your immediate circle has any reason to know your personal phone number. And, luckily, they don’t have to. We live in a digital age where a Burner phone app and second phone numbers are super easy to get.
Not sure if a second phone number app is right for you? Think about the following situations:
- You go on a first date and it doesn’t go well so you politely decline the second date. They don’t like that, so they begin to use your phone number to find personal, sensitive information online to try and contact or harass you.
- You have a job that you’d like to keep private, or it’s important to keep your professional and personal lives separate.
- You are a private person in general and don’t want potential matches accessing your social media accounts until you’ve gotten a chance to know them.
- You enjoy casually dating and would like to ensure that your casual dates don’t have access to your real number because you know the relationships are going to be short-term.
If any of the above scenarios apply to you, using a fake phone number via a second phone number app is a great idea. Not only will it protect your privacy, but it makes separating your dating life and all other areas of your personal life a breeze.
How to Get a Free Fake Phone Number
Safety is important when navigating the world of online dating, but you don’t need a reason to make the decision to keep your personal information private.
If you’d like to enjoy online dating without having to compromise in terms of privacy, use a fake phone number to stay safe and anonymous. We’re here to help you stay anonymous regardless of the reason, which is why we offer a 7-day free phone number trial to let you see how it works for you.
Hopefully, you find the love of your life or a string of pleasant casual dates. And, if you don’t, we’ve got Burner phone number subscriptions for the long-term daters and privacy seekers who need long-term solutions, too.