DateableHow to hide your Dateable profile from someone you know
Block them instantly with one press, pause your profile if you need a break, or keep photos private until you know who is looking.
If you spot a colleague, relative or ex on Dateable, block them on the spot. A blocked member never sees you in search, on the Board, or in messages again. You do not need to message them first, and you do not need to explain.
How to block someone
Open their profile and block them. From that moment the block works everywhere at once: you disappear from their search results, from the Board and from their messages. Your blocked list lives in your settings, so you can check who is on it.
Blocking works both ways in practice: you will not see them either. That is the point. You do not need to keep an eye on what they do next.
Block the moment you recognise them
Do not wait. The longer someone sees your profile, the more they remember about it. If you spot your boss, your sibling or your ex, block them before they have time to look at your photos or read your profile text.
Blocking only works on people you have spotted, so make yourself harder to spot too. Your profile shows your city, and your headline and about section may mention your job or the places you go. A person who knows you picks up on those details faster than a stranger. Keep them general until you know who is reading.
Block people who know you well enough to matter. This includes:
- Anyone from your current workplace or industry.
- People from your past jobs or schools.
- Your ex partners and their close friends.
- Members of your friend group or social circle.
- People from your hometown or suburb.
- Anyone else who might piece together clues from your photos or profile text.
Blocking is not personal and you do not need to feel guilty. You are protecting your own privacy and your own peace. That is the whole point of Dateable: being able to say what you want and choose who sees it.
Block anyone who might recognise you from your photos
Recognising a face is not the same as remembering a name. Someone who went to your school might see your profile and think "I know that person" without being able to place you. If you think there is a chance someone might recognise your photos but not your name, block them.
This includes people from your hometown, your old workplace, or your friend group. You do not need to be certain. If there is doubt, block them. It costs you nothing, and it rules out an awkward moment.
The risk is that a half-remembered connection becomes awkward later. Someone sees you on Dateable and mentions it to a mutual friend. Suddenly your personal choice becomes office gossip. Blocking people from your past means you control who knows about your dating life, not your history.
Pause your profile if you need a break
Blocking works one person at a time. If you need to step back for a few days or weeks, pause your whole profile instead. A paused profile is hidden from everyone.
Pause is useful when you think someone has seen you but you cannot find their profile to block, or when you simply want a break. You do not have to delete your account to disappear. A paused profile keeps your data, and you can come back when you are ready. Pause is in your settings.
Keep your photos private until you know who is looking
Dateable lets you upload up to twelve private photos in addition to your public ones. Private photos are hidden until you grant someone access. Use this. Open with your public photos and let someone prove they are trustworthy before they see the rest.
Your first public photo must show your face, so choose it with care: a clear, recent photo that you have not used on social media or at work. Everything else can wait in the private album.
You decide who sees private photos, one person at a time. Trade a few messages, and if they seem trustworthy, grant access. If the conversation goes cold, revoke it. You do not need to explain. If someone asks why certain photos are private, you do not have to answer:
Those are for people I'm getting to know first. I'll share them when I feel right about it.
Report, then block
If someone is harassing you, pressuring you, or making you feel unsafe, report the profile before you block. A report goes to Dateable's review team and helps keep other members safe. Then block. The report and block guide walks through both, the privacy guide covers the rest of your profile, and the help centre answers anything else.
