Badoo

• Free Basic Membership 
• Easy Sign-Up
• Badoo Premium Features
• Real-Time Location Connections 
• Transparency and Security
• AI Photo Filter 
• Lookalike Search Function 
• Badoo Account Verification

Free Basic Membership 

The real question is “Is Badoo free?” Yes, Badoo offers a free app and the option to create a free profile. You can even start chatting with other members free of charge — which is not always the case with other online dating sites. However, if you want your dating profile to stand out and be seen by more people, you might consider joining Badoo Premium or purchasing credits. 

Easy Sign-Up 

Signing up for Badoo is relatively simple. Start by grabbing your smartphone and downloading the app. The app is available for download on an Android or IOS device.  
 
Daters can sign up free of charge and create a Badoo profile. On the free version, you can upload a photo or video from your computer or social media (Instagram or Facebook account), connect with people nearby, and chat with new people every day.
 
You connect your Badoo login to several social media accounts, including the following platform options: 

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google
• MSN
• VKontakte
• Odnoklassniki
• Yandex
• Mail.Ru

Connecting to a social media account lets Badoo verify your account. You can also connect with your Twitter and Facebook friends on Badoo by linking your accounts. 
 
After creating a profile, members can check out the Badoo Encounters feature, a game that gives daters the option to vote yes or no on another person's profile. Similar to the Tinder app, users swipe or click to accept or reject a potential match based on a simple profile introduction. If a match is made (both parties say yes), then they can start up a conversation on Badoo chat. 

Badoo Premium Features

Badoo users interested in meeting more people and more potential dates can sign up for Badoo’s premium subscription. When you join this dating website as a paid member, its premium services help boost options when chatting, finding new people, sharing pictures and videos, and having more fun. Badoo’s premium service gives you added knowledge and resources to improve your dating game. 
 
Here are the features Badoo Premium members receive:

• Liked You — users can see who voted ‘Yes’ on their profile in Encounters
• Invisible Mode — members can browse Badoo without anyone seeing 
• Undo Your Last Vote — be able to undo your ‘No’ votes in Encounters
• Added You As A Favorite — members can see who likes them the most
• Chat To Popular Users — access to the most popular people on Badoo
• First To Contact New People — chat with new members as soon as they join
• Highlight Your Message — members messages will be read first by their contacts
• Stickers — access to cool stickers

In addition to the features listed, Badoo premium members can use the dating platform free of advertisements.

Real-Time Location Connections

Badoo connects the physical world with the online dating realm through its “bumped into” feature. If you allow the app to track your location, the app will notify you if you cross paths with another Badoo user. You will automatically match and be given access to messaging. This is not a feature found in any other online dating app. The “bumped into” feature is especially useful for individuals attending school or university who pass a large number of potential matches every day. 

Transparency and Security

Before signing up for any online dating site, it is recommended users check out the dating site privacy policy. 
 
When reading through Badoo’s privacy policy, there are several noteworthy sections. First, Badoo encourages its users to be careful about posting sensitive details. Online daters can voluntarily provide any information they please, but there is no requirement to do so. Badoo also encourages daters to be cautious about uploading photos and videos to the network that may disclose any sensitive information. 
 
The privacy policy also states the kind of data collected and why from both its premium and non-premium account users. While this information might not seem particularly interesting to the everyday Badoo user, the transparency Badoo provides is refreshing, as members can at least be aware of how and why their information/data is being used and shared.

AI Photo Filter 

Badoo recently launched a new AI feature named the “Private Detector” that filters photos being sent through direct messages. This safety feature protects users from receiving unwanted, explicit photos — especially for women. The AI feature blurs out any photos that contain inappropriate content. The recipient can choose whether or not to open the image, block the user, or report the incident to the company. 

Lookalike Search Function 

Have you ever wanted to date someone that looks like your celebrity crush? If so, Badoo is the place for you. Badoo offers a lookalike search function that scans the user base for lookalikes. Start by connecting to your Facebook account to receive profile photos suggestions. With these photos, you can conduct a doppelganger search to find individuals who look like your Facebook friends. Using facial recognition technology, Badoo will identify profiles with similar facial features. Awesome or creepy? We’ll leave that up to you. 

You can also upload photos of your favorite celebrities or political figures to find lookalikes. You will still need to match with the individual before you can start a conversation. This protects individuals who might have a close resemblance to a famous individual. If you match with your lookalike search, your match will receive a normal match notification. This feature is included with the free membership. 

Badoo Account Verification

Badoo offers a helpful profile verification system. A dating profile that has been verified by at least two methods is indicated by a blue checkmark with a white background. A profile that has been verified by at least three methods is indicated by a white checkmark on a blue background. 

In addition to social media verification, here are two of the basic ways Badoo verifies that you are a real person: 
 
Photo Verification

In order to create a Badoo profile, users must upload a picture of themselves posing in a specific way. Badoo matches this photo with your uploaded profile pictures. Each profile picture goes through a quick verification process. This helps stop scammers and fake accounts from being made. 
 
Phone Number Verification

To ensure that users get the best possible experience, Badoo requires users to verify their accounts and might ask for a phone number. Badoo uses a third-party provider for account verification, who keeps users' phone numbers up to 90 days for fraud identification purposes. This policy helps to stop fake Badoo accounts from being created as well as lowering the chances of malicious activity and cybercrime.

• Pay to Increase Profile Views, Status, Encounters
• Purchased Credits Will Expire
• No Matching Algorithm 

Pay to Increase Profile Views, Status, Encounters

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but members wanting to increase their status, profile popularity, or encounters will have to buy credits or purchase a subscription. However, Badoo does offer a variety of online and in-app purchases for its members to choose from. 
 
Members can purchase a one-month, two-month, or six-month subscription. You can also purchase a lifetime subscription if you predict that you will need that app longer than one year. Subscriptions and credits are competitively priced. 
 
Badoo credits are used to help user profiles get more attention. Purchasing credits will increase the likelihood of other members seeing your profile, either by using the "Get Featured" service or getting more displays in the Encounters game. 
 
Members can buy 100, 550, 1250, or 2750 credits at a time. These additional payment options can improve the user experience. However, the charges can add up quickly and catch users off-guard if they are not careful. 

Purchased Credits Will Expire

Badoo users who purchased credits to increase the number of encounters, voting limits, etc. would be wise to use their credits. Badoo reserves the right to expire any unused credits after six months (unless the credits are purchased through iTunes). If the account is deleted or terminated, all accumulated credits will be lost. Badoo credits are not redeemable for any sum of money or monetary value unless Badoo has agreed to this in writing. 

No Matching Algorithm 

Badoo does not use a matching algorithm to connect users. Badoo functions similarly to a social network site allowing users to connect on their own without much intervention. Other dating sites offer quizzes and questionnaires to match users with similar interests, hobbies, skills, goals, etc. This is not the case with Badoo. 

Similar to Tinder, Badoo focuses on psychical appearance and short bios to help users connect. Compared to other dating websites, Badoo is less formal and serves a much wider variety of dating purposes. Some users join to find a new friend and others sign-up to meet a long-term partner.

You will need to vet through profiles that have a different dating motive than you. However, you can still find success by being direct in your intentions when talking to matches.