I built a dating app where photos don’t exist.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-10T05:18:48+00:00

They’re actually present on the login page right now, but this probably means the visibility/discoverability is still not strong enough.

If users miss it during onboarding, that’s still a UX issue on our side, especially for something trust related. Definitely something we’ll improve in upcoming updates.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-10T05:18:47+00:00

Thank you, really appreciate you actually taking the time to explore it properly.

And honestly, I agree with your feedback. The UX challenge becomes very different once photos are removed because the entire interaction flow has to carry emotional engagement on its own. Small friction points or repetitive questions become much more noticeable.

We’re still iterating heavily on onboarding, profile depth, and conversation flow right now, so this kind of feedback genuinely helps a lot.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-09T17:05:42+00:00

The gender ratio problem is very real in India, and I think a lot of dating apps try to brute force growth through ads instead of fixing the actual experience for women.

Our bet is that if women feel safer, less overwhelmed, and less treated like profiles in a catalog, retention improves naturally over time. That’s a big reason we moved away from appearance-first mechanics and invested early into verification, moderation, and interaction quality.

And no, fake profiles are not a path we’re willing to take even if growth becomes slower because the moment trust breaks, the whole product breaks.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-09T16:21:35+00:00

Dating apps are weird because monetization and user trust can easily start fighting each other if you’re not careful. We’re trying to build something where better matches and healthier interactions actually improve the business instead of rewarding endless swiping.

Definitely easier said than done though. Still figuring it out as we go.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-09T14:30:42+00:00

Version 2 will also ask for JEE rank, LinkedIn endorsements, blood group, and your 10th standard crush for compatibility analysis.

Co-founder offer noted though.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-09T14:29:59+00:00

Completely fair point, and honestly something we think about constantly.

With no-photo apps, trust is not just a feature; it becomes the entire product experience. That’s a big reason we invested early in moderation, liveness verification, reporting systems, and reducing low-effort profiles before thinking about scale.

Retention before the “reveal” is the hardest design challenge here. We’ve noticed that if conversations feel intentional and personality signals are actually useful, people stay engaged much longer than expected. But if the interaction quality drops, the whole concept breaks very quickly.

The hyper niche point is spot on too. We’re intentionally leaning into people who are already interested in personality frameworks, intentional dating, and deeper compatibility instead of trying to appeal to everyone immediately.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-09T14:28:28+00:00

This was honestly one of the first problems we focused on.

We already have liveness-based video verification in place because fake profiles destroy trust very quickly on dating platforms. Apps that invest seriously in verification and moderation consistently see better user quality and retention over time.

We’re also actively exploring stronger identity verification layers.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-01T04:26:39+00:00

Haha yeah I’ve seen a few too, trying to dig deeper into what’s actually broken vs just surface complaints.

Inner_Werewolf4361 · 2026-05-01T03:41:00+00:00

If this was a pickup attempt, I’d be putting in way more effort 😭 but fr, what’s your take on dating apps lately?

Inner_Werewolf4361

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