Running a background check on a Tinder match is anything but unwarranted.
In fact, everyone on Tinder should take this precaution.
It has never been simpler to obtain information about people today. All you need is a reliable internet connection and the right approach.
Tinder’s Own Background Check App
Tinder launched background checks in March this year in partnership with Garbo, a nonprofit organization and platform.
The dating site offers each user two free background checks, claiming the total comes to as many as 500,000 free searches.
The background check app is offered with a number of updates aimed at improving precaution and safety.
Match Group, Tinder’s parent company, partnered with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Tinder has a dedicated, evolving Safety Center with a growing pool of resources.
The site also works with RAINN.
The background check feature is relatively new. Despite that, it has led to disputes. Some argue it comes with many risks regarding criminal justice and privacy.
How to Run a Background Check Using Garbo
Start by tapping the blue shield icon. You can find it anywhere on the app, usually in the top right. Go to the Safety Center from there. You’ll see different features and tools.
Go to Garbo within the center and then to the “Tools” menu.
You should see the caption “Tinder x Garbo.”
When you tap that page, it will take you to a detailed guide clarifying what exactly Garbo does. From there, you’ll be taken to Garbo’s website to perform a background check.
You fill out a form with some data on your match, such as their first name and phone number.
Every search from the third one on will cost $2.50 plus a processing fee of $0.75.
How to get Results
After a certain period, Garbo will generate a result, based on which you have one of three options:
- Keep chatting to your match
- Unmatch them
- Report them
To report a match on the app, go to your match list and choose that user, or open their profile directly and scroll down to the “Report” button.
You can open the profile from the list of matches. You can also use Tinder’s site to deliver a report.
The dating site encourages users to make reports if they discover a history of violence. The app gives access to the Crisis Text Line, the Trans Lifeline, and other external resources.
One less probable outcome is that Garbo won’t locate your match. In this case, they will ask for further details, such as your match’s age.
Garbo will be added to other dating apps in the coming months. These include Hinge, Match, OK Cupid, Plenty of Fish, Azar, and other sister apps of Tinder.
Stud or Dud
Garbo isn’t the only Tinder background check tool in existence. The mobile app Stud or Dud can help reveal interesting information about your potential date, including criminal history and age.
If there is a record of their work, property, or financial status online, the app will find it.
Information.com
Many online apps allow you to check your potential mate instantly, but information.com takes this one step further. The data broker has a rich database.
If your date has left any kind of digital footprint, the site will retrieve it.
Always Take Precautions
Although background checks are helpful, you should know that some will not yield any results regardless of how much information about a person you enter.
Lack of information is not a red flag in itself, but it doesn’t mean the match is safe either.
Not everyone who has committed a crime or is criminally inclined leaves a digital footprint.
Listen to your intuition, keep your head cool, and check out Tinder’s safety tips before meeting a match in real life for the first time.
Interpreting the Results of a Pre-date Screening
If a background check finds someone is married, don’t take it at face value. They might be divorced or in the process of getting divorced. It’s still an issue that merits consideration.
If you find out they have a child, what should you do? It depends on the situation.
If you are childfree and aren’t looking for a person with children, it should be a deal-breaker, especially if they never mentioned their offspring. Some single parents will withhold this fact.
Finding out they are deep in debt is unlikely, but if it happens, it’s definitely something you shouldn’t ignore. It might even justify closing communication channels.
Assuming you’re looking for a long-term relationship, this person will become a liability down the line.