Badoo Review 2024
| Active Audience | 55% |
| Quality Matches | 95% |
| Popular Age | 18-30 |
| Profiles | 470 000 000 |
| Reply Rate | 97% |
| Ease of Use | 8.9 |
| Popularity | 9.5 |
| Fraud | Very Rarely |
| Rating | |
| Registration | Free |
Badoo users sign up here as well:
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Isabelle Mason
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26 May 2020Updated:05 Dec 2024
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2735 Views
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11 min read
Pros and Cons
- Messaging is free;
- Well optimized mobile app;
- Amazing price;
- Huge community;
- Lots of intuitive features.
- Outdated desktop site;
- 3-step verification process can be tedious;
- Might not be for people who want long-term relationships;
- Can be overwhelming for new users;
- Credits may be needed to access certain features, even as a premium member.
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Online dating is all the craze nowadays since people could talk to each other from the comfort of their own home. Many platforms allow people just that. One of which is Tinder, which provides very barebone features for those who want quick hookups. Tinder leaves much to be desired, though, which is expected from a free dating platform. But what if you want more tools in the box?
That is where Badoo comes in. While many people call Badoo a dating provider, it incorporates many elements from Facebook, making it seem like a social media site for everyone who wants to have fun dates. How well does it compare to other online dating providers? Let’s find out.
When was Badoo Founded?
In the past, Badoo was nothing more than a simple Facebook app. It took Facebook’s huge userbase to leverage its features. Its popularity soared until the team decided to break away from Facebook and officially launched a dedicated desktop platform in 2012.
Who Owns Badoo?
Badoo is owned by Andrey Andreev, who is a Russian businessman.
Registration & Profile
Since Badoo is a social media/dating platform, both of which are prone to scam profiles, they try to make it difficult for scammers to get in. Badoo uses a 2-step verification system, more on that later.
When registering on Badoo, users have to provide their name, date of birth, gender, location, and relationship goal. They should upload a photo of themselves for a profile picture, but this step is optional. You can always come back and upload your photo later.
Users will receive an email from Badoo asking them to verify their account. If you cannot find it in your inbox, try checking the spam folder. Inside the mail is a link that users need to click or copy, and it will take them back to Badoo.
It is where Badoo goes the extra mile to protect its users. You can either start browsing their site right now and familiarize yourself with the layout, but there are certain limitations as you are not fully verified.
Users have two options when it comes to the second verification. They could either link their social media to Badoo or verify via phone number. After this second verification, users will get a neat little blue checkmark under their profile picture, proving that they have fully verified their account.
Another quasi-verification process is that users should upload at least one photo for their profile to unlock additional features such as boosting their popularity on Badoo, buying coins, and playing games on the website.
To save you some trouble, if you intend to look around the site before you commit or you also want to unlock the restrictions with the profile photo. However, uploading a picture of yourself will prompt Badoo to ask you for another photo verification, which means more hassle. The team verifies all images uploaded and they will permanently lock users out of their platform if they fail to prove that it is genuinely theirs. So, we recommend uploading a pic of your pet or car to remove that restriction without having to verify it.
If you like what you see, you can upload a photo of yourself. Then the third verification process kicks in. Users will e provided with a photo of a man or woman striking various poses. Users just have to take a picture of themselves and replicate the pose. The Badoo team will look at your submission quickly verify your photos and remove all restrictions.
Communication/Matches
Next, let’s talk about how you can reach out to other users on Badoo. It includes the essential messaging feature, Badoo encounters, people nearby, and featured users.
Because Badoo is technically a social media with a dating twist, it allows all users to message each other even as free users. We consider this an absolute win over many other dating platforms. This feature is unlocked once you have uploaded a photo of yourself for your profile. Without this limitation, even free users can receive messages from other users, which is very convenient.
But there is a catch, as with all things in life. Unlimited messaging only works with those you’ve matched. If you want to message people who you haven’t matched with, the limitation is two messages. Only when you receive a reply from the recipient can you send more messages. Some may consider this a strange system, but we believe this is done to protect their users from scams or spam. So we don’t consider this a drawback at all.
On top of this, users can opt-in to receive live notifications whenever other members message them. It can be done either as an email notification or a website notification, although the latter requires you to have the website open in a tab.
As if all of the above isn’t enough, Badoo also allows you to add other people to your list of favorites. That way, you have a list of people you like conveniently within your reach without having to look them up again. Conversely, if someone is getting on your nerves, you can block them so you won’t receive any messages anymore.
Badoo also offers what they called “Badoo Encounters,” which is Tinder matchmaking with a few extra and beneficial features. Simply put, users will be presented with various photos of other users as well as some necessary information like their name, how old they are, and what they have in common.
Clicking on the heart button is equivalent to swiping right, meaning that you are interested in this user. Clicking on the cross button is like swiping left—pretty simple stuff. What is interesting is that users can narrow down what people they want to see. They can choose from gender and age range, which is very handy indeed.
Their “Featured User” system is also pretty straightforward. If you go to your profile page, you will see that there are many profile pictures of other users at the bottom right. These are the users who used credits to promote themselves on other people’s profiles. You can click on those photos and contact them.
How to Search for People on Badoo?
The search feature on Badoo is called “People Nearby.” This feature is the basic search system. It allows users to find other people based on gender, age, relationship goals, location, proximity, and online status.
How to Delete Badoo Account?
Badoo allows users to delete their accounts easily by going into their settings. There, you should be able to find the link you must click to delete your account. After you’ve confirmed the account deletion, your account will be frozen for a month. No one can see your account during this period, but you can reactivate it by logging back in. After this period, your account will be erased permanently with no way of recovering it.
Members Structure
First, it’s worth knowing what new members are getting into and what chance they have to find a suitable date. Member counts on Badoo exceed 400 million members, 75% of whom are very active. It is an excellent sign. We usually see dating platforms have a large but inactive userbase or a small but active userbase. Finding that a database is as large as it is active is a rare sight indeed. Most of these users live in the United States and Europe, so your chance of finding hookups is pretty high if you are from these regions.
Because Badoo tries to cater to young adults, the age distribution is skewed toward the younger population. Most of the users are concentrated between 18 to 35 years old who want simple hookups with no strings attached.
However, that does not mean you won’t find those who want serious commitments as there are people older than 35. The downside is your chance is slightly lower than those who only seek one-time fun.
The gender composition s slightly skewed with more male members (60%) than female members (40%). It is only a slight difference, though, so your odds should remain unaffected.
Sexual Preferences
At the registration phase, users are prompted to tell their sexual preference. The options they provide cover pretty much every sexual orientation, so all users are welcome on Badoo regardless of sexual orientation.
Race and Ethnicity
Badoo’s members are located across the globe. So, we can say with certainty that they welcome everyone regardless of race and ethnicity, so long as they have access to the Internet.
Religious Orientation
Religion-wise, Badoo welcomes all users regardless of their religion.
Pricing Policies
Badoo has two main options when it comes to its premium offerings. Users can pay to get credits, which they can redeem to unlock certain functions. Another option is a premium membership.
You can pay Badoo via mobile phone, PayPal, and credit card. Keep in mind that premium memberships are billed once upon purchase and automatically renewed at the end of every billing cycle.
Free Membership
Free users have access to many features, including:
- Access to the search system
- Access to the messaging system
- Access to fun minigames
- Know who checked your profile out
Paid Membership
By going premium, the following will be accessible:
- See who sent you likes
- View users who added you to their list of favorites
- Send gifts
- Preferential listing
Here, users have three standard durations to choose from.
The 1-month plan is $13 per month, the 3-month plan goes for $11 per month, and the 6-month plan goes for $8 per month. Of course, the latter is the best price we have seen, especially considering all the functions you would have access to. We recommend going for the 6-month plan since you only spend about 25 cents per day because you would get a lot of value out of every penny.
Good news for those who are still skeptical about committing to premium; Badoo also offers a 24-hour premium plan that will cost you 80 cents. Alternatively, if paying every six months becomes tedious for you, there is a lifetime membership that goes for $80. If you plan on using Badoo for any more than ten months, we recommend going for the lifetime membership since their 6-month plan will cost you $8 a month anyway.
How to Cancel Badoo Paid Subscription?
Canceling your subscription is pretty straightforward, but you will not be refunded. Even so, you get to enjoy your premium membership until the next billing cycle. After that, your membership would be reverted to that of a free member.
To cancel your subscription, go into profile settings. It is the cogwheel icon at the top right corner. From there, find the payment settings tab where you will see the button that says, “Unsubscribe.” Click on it and confirm your decision.
Is Badoo Safe?
The next big question is whether Badoo is safe. We are pleased to say that it is very reliable, considering all the features that they have in place. For one, the registration process is rigorous, so scammers will have a hard time getting in.
The messaging system is available for everyone, so some people think that this is a security vulnerability. That is not the case because you can only send a few messages to members who are not matched with you.
Even if scammers managed to get matched with someone, they probably wouldn’t be able to do much because they need to provide lots of personal information to get a high profile score. An empty profile will often be ignored by most users on Badoo, further blunting their scamming effectiveness.
As if that is not difficult enough for scammers, Badoo has a reporting system that allows users to report inappropriate behavior.
To sum up, Badoo is a very safe space to find dates.
Quality of Profiles
Badoo’s profile system is a little bit lacking compared to other dating platforms. Users do not have that much control over what they can do with their profiles. However, since Badoo is a social media/dating platform, this isn’t such a big problem. It is more than enough considering that users don’t have to spend minutes answering questions about politics or religions. We consider that to be a gimmick feature.
Badoo also has a profile scoring system. From what we can tell, this system is geared toward those who are more interested in hookups than long-term relationships. It gives your profile a score based on how much information you put into it. This feature is unlocked once you have uploaded three photos. After the initial review, your profile quality score will change depending on the ratings you’ve received from those who visited your profile through Badoo Encounters matches.
Website Design and Usability
What about the overall aesthetics of the site? Aesthetics-wise, it looks a bit outdated because Badoo focuses its efforts on designing its mobile platform (more on that later). The interface looks a bit messy and cluttered, although the design is simple.
Considering the ease of use, you won’t have much trouble navigating this site. The website is well-optimized, so the load time is quick. Everything you need is located on the sidebar menu and your profile page.
How does Badoo Work?
Badoo matchmaking system works by taking data from each user’s profiles to match them with others. It is one reason you should completely take your time and fill in your profile as much as possible. A full profile means that you are more likely matched with others and dramatically increase the likelihood of getting responses from other users.
Badoo App
Of course, virtual dating would not be nearly as exciting if users could not connect during and out. After all, the best part of virtual dating is convenience. It is not convenient if people have to sit in one spot in front of their computer to enjoy virtual dating.
For this reason, Badoo has launched its standalone mobile application. As mentioned previously, the desktop site looks rather neglected. While it could use a makeover, Badoo prioritizes mobile app development rather than its desktop site.
It makes sense considering what Badoo aims to provide. They want to make it as easy as possible for their users to find hookups, and the best way to do that is through mobile phones. The only downside of going mobile is the fact that users have to contend with the small screen.
Badoo’s efforts in mobile app development are apparent at a glance. For one, the layout looks completely different from its desktop site. It looks clean, modern, and very pleasing to the eyes. Certain features are mobile app exclusive.
Alternatives of Badoo
If Badoo does not meet all your needs, but you want something on the same level, here are some recommendations:
- Match: For those who are interested in long-term relationships
- OkCupid: 100% free to use
- HER: Dating platform exclusively for the LGBT women
- Tinder: Mainstream dating platform with a very large and active community
- Zoosk: Made dating fun with quizzes and contests
Conclusion
In short, Badoo stands on its own very well as a top-of-the-line online dating provider. Badoo is an interesting take on social media with a focus on dating. They have done an excellent job of designing a platform that is packed full of many functionalities. Most of them are accessible for everyone without costing a single penny. Even better yet, Badoo encourages users to switch to the mobile app since they put more effort into developing it.
Badoo is straightforward to use and offers a safe dating environment at a very low price. Even if you’re not willing to invest, you can try Badoo out with a 1-day paid trial to test the water before committing. Given all these options, there’s no reason not to give Badoo a shot.
Contact Information
Company: Badoo Trading Limited
Address: The Broadgate Tower, Third Floor, 20 Primrose Street, London EC2A 2RS
Phone: +44 (0) 207 099 9940
Email: [email protected]
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