Safety

Last updated: 10 October 2026

Meeting someone new should feel good. A few habits make it safer, and MeetBites has a few features that help.

MeetBites does not run criminal background checks on its members.

Safety awareness

1. A profile is not proof of who someone is. Anyone can use a false name, photo or story.
2. Never send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you met online, whatever the reason.
3. Never share your bank or card details, passwords or one-time codes.
4. Keep your home address, workplace and other personal details to yourself until you trust the person.
5. Meet in a busy public place for the first few dates, and arrange your own way there and back.
6. Tell a friend or family member who you are meeting, where and when. You can use Share my date.
7. Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, leave. You owe nobody an explanation.
8. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Nobody may touch you or pressure you without your clear yes. Report anyone who ignores a no.
9. Block and report anyone who makes you uncomfortable, asks for money or breaks the law.

What the verified badge means

A live selfie matched this person's profile photos. It does not check ID, age or background.

It is a check that the person who took the selfie matches the photos on the profile. It is not a check of anyone’s identity documents, age, criminal record or character. If you change your main photo, the badge goes until you verify again. You can verify by taking a selfie, or without a face scan: a photo or short video holding a code word that a person reviews. Details are in the Biometric Policy.

Features that help

• Venue checks. A plan can only be set at a place that passes our venue check: a public place, open for business and well reviewed. Bars are for established members only. Homes and hotels are never allowed. MeetBites checks each venue against published criteria but doesn't guarantee it. Follow the safety tips whichever place you pick.
• Daytime first dates. A newcomer’s plans and the plans a newcomer can join must fit inside daylight hours.
• The address stays private. The public listing shows the venue name and a rounded area. The exact address goes only to the person the host picks.
• Check-ins. About two hours after a plan starts, we ask how it went. Your answers are private. If something felt wrong, we show safety steps first and help you report it.
• Share my date. Make a link that shows a friend the two first names, the venue, the time and when you are home safe. It stops working 24 hours after the date, or when you cancel it. We send nothing: you share the link yourself.
• Block and report. Every profile, plan and message has them. A block takes effect at once and the other person is never told.

What is automated, and what a person decides

Some checks are done by computers: screening text and photos, hiding a profile or plan after several reports, the venue check, the daytime rule for newcomers, and the pass or fail of the selfie check. People review reports and decide every appeal. We do not publish the thresholds our checks use, because that would help people avoid them.

Reports, appeals and complaints

• Report anyone from their profile, plan or message. Reports are confidential and the person is not told who reported them. A report about an intimate image, impersonation or child safety hides the content right away while we review it.
• We never limit your account in secret. If we hide, remove, suspend or ban, you see a plain statement of what happened and why in Settings, Account status. You can appeal there within 30 days, and a person decides. If you are suspended or banned you are signed out, so we email you the statement and you appeal with the complaint form.
• You can complain to our Grievance Officer, and appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within 30 days of the outcome. We act within 2 hours on intimate images and impersonation, and within 36 hours on prohibited content.

If we ban someone for fraud

If we ban someone for fraud, such as using a false identity, we tell the people who recently chatted with them. The notice appears in the app. It gives their first name and when you last talked, warns that the person may have used a false identity, reminds you never to send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you met online, and gives a few tips.

In an emergency

If you are in danger, call your local emergency number first. In India: 112 for police, fire and ambulance, 1091 for the women helpline, 1098 for Childline, and 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in to report online fraud and cybercrime. When you are safe, report what happened in the app or at [email protected].

Read the Community Guidelines for what is not allowed.