Wondering how to find out if someone has a dating profile online? You may want to reconnect with an old flame. Maybe you’re concerned that your partner suddenly has a death grip on their cell phone whenever you’re around. You could even be worried about your child chatting with strangers on popular dating apps. Short of signing up for everything from Ashley Madison to Tinder, how do you go about finding out if someone has a dating profile?
Luckily, it doesn’t take much more than an internet connection and an inquiring mind to figure it out. But be forewarned: This is powerful stuff. Once you discover it, there’s no turning back. Before you start looking, however, consider whether this is information you really want or even need to know.
With this caveat, if you’re comfortable being informed, we’ll give you the tips you need to track down a dating profile in just a few easy steps.
How to Find a Dating Profile Without Access to the Person’s Device
It’s not so difficult to find information on when you have access to their phone or other device. But, what if their device is password protected or you don’t live with them? If you don’t have access to the person’s mobile or computer, you can also find someone on dating sites by email. Or you can look for dating profiles using just a name or phone number.
To increase your chance of finding a dating profile, enter the person’s name on Spokeo.com to see the available social media profiles, email addresses and usernames they might be using. It’s likely that their dating profile username differs from the one they normally use.
If the person has a more common name, a Reverse Email Search or Reverse Username Search may be a more efficient way to find results on over a hundred social media platforms, including publicly accessible dating profiles. If an account exists, you’re likely to find it.
Find a Dating Profile by Checking Browsing History
If you have access to the phone or computer of the person you want to check in on, there are two easy ways to see if they have an online dating profile. The first is to view their browsing history. Most people are lax about clearing historical searches. Besides, it’s useful information to have when you want to revisit a web page you didn’t save. We’re not encouraging you to invade your partner’s privacy. But if they’ve given you permission to use their phone in the past you’re in the clear. Here’s how to check the history on the most popular browsers:
On Chrome:
- Open the browser.
- Click on the three vertical dots in the upper right.
- Select “History.”
On Mozilla Firefox:
- Open the browser.
- Click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right.
- Select “Library.”
- Select “History,” then “Show All History.”
On Safari (for Mobile Phones):
- Open the browser.
- Tap the open book icon on the bottom right of the screen.
Once you access the history, look for dating websites. Some of the more popular ones include:
- Tinder
- Match
- OKCupid
- Plenty of Fish
- Zoosk
- Ashley Madison
- Grindr
- Bumble
There are many more and they often target specific age groups. So, for instance, if the person you’re looking for is age 58, a quick Google search will tell you the names of dating websites that target the 50-plus crowd. Be on the lookout for the word “profile” as it may appear, as well, in the historical listing. Also, check the recycle bin for recently deleted history.
Check for Dating Apps
The third way to look for a dating profile is to search for dating apps on their phone or tablet. Scroll through the home screens to look for dating app names and icons. Icons are a visual representation of the application, so even if you don’t know the name of the dating website, you can look for distinctive icons that feature, for example, hearts or silhouettes of people.
An app can be hidden; even so, the average person won’t go through all the steps necessary to make it very difficult to find. The simplest way to hide a dating app is to bury it in a folder. Here’s how you can locate it.
On an iPhone, do one of the following:
- Open the App Store and click on the person’s icon on the upper right. You can see which apps were downloaded by viewing “Purchased”.
- Using the Search function, enter the full name of the app to find where it is hidden in a folder.
On an Android:
- Open Settings (the gear icon on the home screen), scroll down and tap on “Apps,” then “All.” (In some devices, you can view hidden apps on their own by tapping “Hidden.”)
- Open the App Drawer, the icon with two rows of three dots. Tap the menu, which will usually be three dots, three bars, or a gear at the top of the apps list. Tap “Show Hidden Applications.” If you don’t see this option, tap “All” to view all apps.
Once you know if they have a profile, you can make an informed decision and plan your next move.