DateableHow to check what your dating apps can see on your phone
Before joining, check app permissions for location, contacts, photos and microphone. Give each app only what it needs to work.
Every dating app asks for permission to access parts of your phone. Before you install one, check what it wants and turn off the permissions it does not need. The app will still work without full access to your location, photos, contacts and microphone.
Why app permissions matter
Your phone holds your location history, photos, phone numbers and voice. A dating app does not need access to all of it. The app might need a few photos to verify your profile, but it should not need access to your entire photo library. It might want to know where you are to suggest matches nearby, but it should not be watching your location all the time.
The more access you give an app, the more of your private information it collects. Even well-intentioned apps can be hacked. A data leak from a dating app is far worse if the hackers also get your home address, workplace and photo collection.
Location services: turn them on only when you need them
Most dating apps ask for permission to use your location. You do not have to grant it. Your profile works just fine without location services turned on. When you are ready to meet someone, you can turn location on, use the app to check you are meeting in the right place, then turn it off again.
If you do want the app to suggest matches near you, [only switch on your device's location services when necessary, and share location with as few apps as possible](1). Go to your phone settings, find the dating app, and choose "While Using" instead of "Always". That means the app can see where you are only when it is open on your screen.
Some phones let you share a fake location with specific apps. Look in your phone settings for this option if you are concerned about the app having your real location.
Photos: choose which ones to share
Dating apps need photos to build your profile. They do not need your entire photo library. When the app asks for permission to access your photos, choose "Select Photos" instead of "Allow All". This way you pick which photos the app can see.
This protects photos you do not want anyone to see: screenshots, documents, medical records, photos of your home or workplace, or anything else private. The dating app only gets the handful of photos you want to share.
- Most dating apps let you upload photos one at a time instead of giving permission to your whole library
- Some apps let you take a photo directly in the app so it never touches your phone's photo storage
- You can always add or remove photos later
Contacts: you probably do not need to share them
Some dating apps ask for permission to read your phone contacts. There is rarely a good reason to grant this. The app does not need your contact list to work. Even if you want to invite a friend to join the app, you can send them the link yourself without giving the app access to your entire contact book.
If an app says it needs your contacts to "find your friends", that is a feature you can skip. Leave this permission turned off.
Microphone and camera: ask yourself why
Some apps ask for permission to use your camera or microphone. Before you allow this, ask yourself whether you actually want to do a video call through the app. If you do not, turn the permission off. If you think you might, you can turn it on later when you need it.
Once an app has microphone permission, it can listen whenever it wants, even when you have closed the app. The same goes for the camera. If the app does not offer video calling, it should not need either permission.
Read the privacy policy before you download
[Read an app's privacy policy before downloading it](1), especially if you share location or financial information. The privacy policy tells you exactly what the app does with your data. Look for:
- Whether the app shares your data with other companies, and if so, which ones
- How long the app keeps your data after you delete your account
- Whether the app sells your data or uses it for marketing
- What happens if the app is hacked or the company gets bought
If you do not like what you see in the privacy policy, do not install the app. There are other apps to choose from.
Delete apps you no longer use
If you tried a dating app and stopped using it, delete it. An app you never open still has permission to access your location, photos and contacts. It is also still collecting data about you and using storage on your phone. Clearing out old apps is one of the simplest ways to protect your privacy.
I installed that dating app ages ago but I never went back to it. Should I delete it? Yes. An app you are not using still has access to your personal information.
Before you delete it, you can check what data it collected. Most apps let you download your data or see what they have stored. After that, uninstall the app and remove it from your phone's memory.
What to do when you join Dateable
When you first open Dateable, the app will ask for permissions. You can choose what to allow. If you are not sure about a permission, deny it for now. Dateable will work without it. You can always change your permissions later in your phone settings.
Your privacy settings on your phone stay with you. Taking a few minutes to set them right before you join any dating app protects you across every dating app you use. Learn more about protecting your privacy online.
Sources
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (2026). Mobile devices.
