Badoo: Test reports, hints and experiences with Badoo in Ireland

Badoo is a platform, predominantly used by the generation of social media users, for online dating. It has been penned the ‘inverse Facebook’. The platform itself describes its offering as a social network. Whilst on Facebook you keep in touch with people you already know, on Badoo you contact entirely new contacts. These contacts are, generally speaking, looking to flirt.

Over 300 million people have joined Badoo in recent times and the company which operates the platform from its HQ in London is indeed a reputable one. However, Badoo has been tarnished by the initial issue that it posted automatically to users’ Facebook profiles. This automatic posting is no longer the case. You should, however, always remain vigilant to your behaviours on the site, and what you decide to click on. Still, there are a number of ways in which you can inadvertently post things from the app to your Facebook account, or invite your Facebook contacts to use Badoo. Be very careful when clicking around on the site.

Badoo has seen a massive spike in popularity recently, here in Ireland. Lots of people are actively using the app in the country, with even more users coming here from overseas, and using it while they’re here. Striking up a conversation is always straightforward! We found that it’s always easier when you have ‘matched’ with someone else on the site. Thus, it’s worth your time having a whirl on Badoo’s encounters game. If you make a match, then send them a message. Badoo has an eclectic mix of users. If it’s academic types you’re looking to meet, Badoo isn’t for you. There are other sites in Ireland that would serve this purpose better.

Badoo offers additional features to its premium members. These are called ‘Super Powers’. This involves memberships with varying lengths and costs. Buying Super Powers gives you the following benefits:

- Find out who has liked your profile
- VIP access to the most popular platform users
- The option to talk to the newest members on the site. We found that they are more likely to flirt back than members who have been signed up for a while
- Look at other people’s profiles, without them knowing it was you
- Position your messages at the top of your contact’s inbox, so they read yours first. This is particularly useful with the most popular female profiles, whose inboxes may be overrun.

In order to use the site best, you need to turn on location services on your phone. Then, you can perform a search for singles nearby. You will also be able to take a look at single users who have recently crossed your path, and you can see exactly where this happened. Typically, if the users were within, say 100 to 200 metres of one another, the app will be aware that you nearly met. In addition, you can look-up new contacts using the encounters game. The users shown there will match your filter details (sex, age, search reason).

Using this game, you will be able to see the profiles of men or women, depending on what you are looking for. Also, much like on Tinder, you can ‘like’ their profile with a heart icon, or say that you are not interested. If a pair of members like the same things, you’ll find you have a match. You can then get chatting with them on Badoo.

No. You can use Badoo without Facebook. Your registration will be normal, using an email address and setting-up a password. There is the option to use a Twitter account as the basis for a Badoo profile, should you wish. Using your e-mail address, however, is the best way to stay anonymous.

Once upon a time, Badoo found itself in hot water for auto-posting updates on the site. Facebook sent Badoo a warning and the platform subsequently stopped auto-posting. The site does, however, have many options within it, that allow you to post things onto Facebook, or invite your friends to use the app. Be careful when you’re using the app if you are worried that you could send something to your Facebook profile unintentionally.

No, you can use Badoo cost-free. Setting up a profile and sending messages are both completely free. Long term, if you want to raise your likelihood of success, you will need to purchase Super Powers. If it’s just a trial run you’re looking for, a free account is definitely the way to go.

Essentially, the majority of Badoo functionality is cost-free. Badoo’s costed membership, in comparison, provides supplementary features. Simple tasks, such as setting up a profile, looking for new contacts, and sending messages, are all cost-free.

If you’re looking to pay for the extra features, you can do this using a credit card, or PayPal account. Alternatively, you can make payment via either the Google Playstore or iTunes Store.

You can’t call the customer service team at Badoo. Instead, you’ll need to use the web-form within the app, or on their website.

First, before you type anything, have a good look at your potential match’s profile on Badoo. Ideally, you want to dig out a suitable topic of conversation on their profile, or in their pictures. If you just plump for ‘Hey, how are you’, this is unlikely to get you anywhere. Be more personal, and you’ll see more success.

Your initial message would ideally be a short one. Keep the first message at approximately 2 or 3 sentences long. With a long first message, you risk coming across as desperate, or like you have too much spare time. This can be interpreted as having a dull life.

Your ideal ice-breaker is punchy, concise, creative, and funny.

If your profile is good, and you have put thought behind the messages you send, you are likely to be successful in flirting on the site. Members are active and do respond well when serious contacts are made. As we have already stated, however, you must have a good profile if you want to succeed on the site. Demonstrate to others users that you are an intriguing individual with an adventurous lifestyle. This needs to match your pictures, and your profile summary should show creativity, be honest, and differentiate you from the competition.

The extra features, or ‘Super Powers’ vary in price, depending on the length of the membership. The costs are as follows:

•  1 Week: €2,49
•  1 Month: €8,49
•  3 Months: €19,99
•  6 Months: €29,99     

Further to payment for the additional features, you can also opt to pay for Badoo points. These allow you access to further features, beyond the premium membership. With these, you can get your profile seen more often, and also feature in the match game results more. You can also buy virtual presents and send them to your contacts. The prices for these points are as follows:

• 100 Points: €2
• 550 Points: €9,99
• 1.250 Points: €19,99
• 2.750 Points: €39,99

Not unlike most other dating platforms, you will find that Badoo does contain some fake profiles. It is not necessarily the case that these have been put on by Badoo. Regrettably, there will always be individuals who seek to exploit the popularity of a site such as this, for their own reward. As an example, some sex cam websites trawl for male users. They use the photos of beautiful women to lure men into paying for their sites. You will also find the standard romance fakes here too. Romance fakes will prey on people’s good natures and romantic tendencies in order to make them emotionally attached, and then tell them a sob story which inevitably ends in a request for financial support. And who can help them? You of course!

It’s straight-forward. If you’re thinking that a contact appears too good to be true, be wary. Does the woman who is flirting with you have an unrealistically pretty picture? If so, be skeptical. You can often spot a fake profile from the fact that they only have one photo, and very little information on their profile.

The website and the app are much the same. Ultimately, the functionality is the same on the two versions. The GPS element within the app is a very slight difference. Using the app, members can view members who are located close by, and also see which users may have come close to them recently.

This is dependent on the method of payment you use for your Badoo membership. If you elected to make payment using a credit card, or your PayPal account, you will need to log onto the Badoo website to cancel your subscription. You can’t make the cancellation from within the app. If you elected to pay using the iTunes store, you will need to use your iPhone settings to cancel the membership. This is done in the settings section called ‘iTunes and App Store’. If you registered via text message, you will need the info that was sent to you in your confirmation SMS. It’s not too simple to cancel your Badoo account. It’s a cumbersome cancellation process for those who used PayPal to set-up, and the website is definitely a negative. It’s a bit of a hunt to find the cancellation button. It’s also vital to be careful where you click, so you don’t accidentally elect to keep your membership. Badoo plays dirty when it comes to cancellation – be warned!