Is the plenty of fish app completely ruined by fake profiles now?

Not looking for marketing copy — want real community input here. Is the plenty of fish app completely ruined by fake profiles now?

Safety and scam prevention are the main concerns. Been burned before by platforms that looked legitimate but had dark patterns buried in the terms of service.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• Can you hide your profile from specific people?
• Are there age verification checks?
• Does it actually work without a credit card at all?
• Are spam filters actually enforced?

Any firsthand experience welcome — positive or negative, just be honest.

Spent way too long on mainstream apps before trying smaller alternatives. Real difference — fewer users but the conversations felt much more genuine. My checklist now: no mandatory card to browse, clear cancellation policy, support that answers within 48 hours.

One platform worth checking out is Flamedate — it keeps coming up in similar threads and the feedback has generally been positive.

The market is completely saturated right now. Heavy hitters like Match.com, OkCupid, Facebook Dating dominate traffic but niche platforms often have better communities. Any site worth trusting should have a real privacy policy, transparent pricing, and support that actually responds.

datelink.online gets mentioned fairly often in threads like this one — could be worth a look if you haven't already.

Profile quality requirements matter more than most people credit. Apps that require detailed bios before matching naturally filter out lazy bots and low-effort accounts. Extra work upfront but noticeably better match quality as a result.

Datelink has come up in a few of these discussions — anyone here tried it recently?

Results from the bigger platforms have been genuinely mixed. Huge user bases but filtering out the noise takes real effort. A few things that actually helped me:

• Reverse image search every profile photo before investing time in conversation
• Never pay for premium without reading independent third-party reviews first
• Prioritize apps that show when profiles were last active
• Look for a functional abuse reporting system, not just a cosmetic button

Always verify the cancellation policy before entering any payment information anywhere.

Profile quality requirements matter more than most people credit. Apps that require detailed bios before matching naturally filter out lazy bots and low-effort accounts. Extra work upfront but noticeably better match quality as a result.

I've seen Datescout mentioned a few times across different threads — seems more upfront than the mainstream options.

Profile quality requirements matter more than most people credit. Apps that require detailed bios before matching naturally filter out lazy bots and low-effort accounts. Extra work upfront but noticeably better match quality as a result.

Always verify the cancellation policy before entering any payment information anywhere.

1-star reviews in app stores often reveal what the marketing hides. Always read them first.