You might have noticed a new safety feature in the POF app… video selfie verification! If you’re wondering what the heck this is, or why we’re excited about it, here’s everything you need to know:
What is Selfie Verification?
Selfie verification is a new feature we’re rolling out to keep our members feeling safe and comfortable on the app. It’s no secret that some people may not be who they say they are online. We’re trying to make it easier for all you real humans to verify you’re, well…real. Basically, you take a video of your face so we can confirm it’s really you.
Why Should I Verify My Profile?
As much as verification helps us make sure you are who you say you are, the real benefit is for you and the people you’re chatting with. When you verify yourself, you’ll get a badge for your profile that tells anyone looking at it that your photos are real and you’ve taken the time to prove it. That means other members will feel more confident chatting and meeting up with you.
TLDR? So people know you’re you.
Is Video Selfie Verification Required to Create an Account?
We’re not going to force you to verify your profile and you’ll still be able to make an account without going through this process…but it’s definitely in your best interest to use this new feature. The more verified profiles there are, the more comfortable everyone will be, which just makes things better all around. We’re not saying you’ll have a better shot at finding your person… but we’re not not saying that.
How Does Selfie Verification Work?
When you upload a primary profile picture (the main photo on your profile), the selfie verification feature will pop up for you to use. We need this photo first so we have something to compare your video selfie to. Once your profile pic is good to go, here’s how to verify your profile:
- Head to your profile and under “My Account” tap “Manage Account” menu. From there, you’ll see an option to verify your profile. Once you hit the verify option you’ll be brought to the verification homepage.
- On the verification homepage, hit ‘Verify’ and you’ll be walked through a quick overview of our verification process. Hit ‘Continue,’ then give your consent on the next screen by hitting ‘Verify Me’. If you don’t have camera access enabled for the POF app you’ll be prompted to enable it.
- Once your camera access is good to go, you’ll see a video frame pop up. Focus the camera view on your face and center it in the frame. Hit the ‘Ready’ button when you’re ready to take your selfie video. You’ll see some cues on the screen to help optimize your pose and position. When you’re in the right spot, you’ll see the app take a quick scan of your face.
- The scan of your selfie then gets compared to your profile photo. This could take up to a minute, so hold tight while our system does its thing. If there’s a match between your video selfie and your profile photo, you’ll see your profile get automatically updated with a verification badge. If we don’t get a match, you’ll probably have to try again. PS - Don’t worry about doing yourself up for your verification. The scan of your video selfie only gets used to verify who you are and will never live on your profile (if you want to know more, you can check out our Selfie FAQ).
- You can remove your verified badge from your profile by deleting or changing your primary profile photo.
If you need any help verifying your profile, our support team is always on deck. The quickest way to get in touch with our team is by sending through a support ticket.