An honest observation from the last few weeks: some people sign up, have a look around, and then want to delete their account a day or two later. The reason given on the cancellation form is almost always the same: ‘There’s nothing going on here’ or ‘not what I was looking for’. We understand that. It takes time for a community to build up enough activity in every area, and it’s particularly during those first few days that people decide whether they’ll find their place here. That’s why we’ve now introduced two new features designed to address exactly that.

New in your area

If someone new signs up near you, we’ll let you know once their main profile picture has been approved. But only if it’s a good match – and that goes both ways: they’re looking for someone like you, and they match your own search profile – in terms of role, age and location. You’ll receive no more than one such notification a day, and only during the day – as a push notification, in the bell icon or, if you haven’t linked a device, by email.

Conversely, this means that if you’re new yourself, suitable members in your area will be notified about you. A profile picture that’s been made public is a prerequisite; a few sentences about yourself will do the rest.

Don’t fancy these notifications? Under Account › Notifications, simply switch ‘New in your area’ off.

One week’s notice before you leave

If you’re new and want to delete your account because there isn’t much going on or you haven’t found the right match, you’ll now see an offer on the deletion form: your profile will remain visible for another week, and compatible members nearby will be notified of it once more during this time. After that, the deletion process begins automatically – you don’t need to do anything else. Once you’ve confirmed, we’ll send you a brief summary of the week: profile visits, likes and new chats.

It’s important to us that this is an offer, not a trick, and nobody is being forced to stay. ‘Request deletion’ is displayed in the same size text right next to it. Click ‘I’m staying’ to end the week at any time, or ‘Delete now’ to start the process immediately. If you want to leave straight away, you can. You can only use this offer once per account.

What helps in the first few days

  • A profile picture that’s been made public. It doesn’t have to show your face. A photo from behind or of you doing a hobby is perfectly fine; you can share face photos in a gallery accessible only to specific members.

  • A few sentences about yourself and the three questions in your profile. If people find something to read, they’re more likely to write to you.

  • Write yourself. Those who write get the most replies. Don’t just wait to be found.

  • And when someone new pops up on your screen: say hello. You know yourself how good a first message feels.

DaddyBoy is growing every day, and every profile that stays here makes the platform a bit more lively for everyone else. Thanks for being part of it.