Hey, welcome!
You just joined a community of real humans looking for real connections. We use verification and moderation to detect and remove bots, catfishing, and impersonation. We work hard to keep this community human, honest, and safe.
We built HoopFrog because dating apps felt broken: fake profiles, ghosting, zero accountability. So we did something about it. We use age-assurance and photo verification, messages are encrypted in transit and at rest (though not end-to-end encrypted), and if someone crosses a line, we take action.
These guidelines are the rules of the house. Read them once. They're short, they're honest, and they exist to help everyone feel comfortable being themselves.
The core principles (the non-negotiables)
Respect. Treat every person like a full human being with feelings, boundaries, and a life. You don't have to connect with everyone. You do have to be decent to everyone.
Consent. Consent is everything. For messages, for photos, for meeting in person, for anything physical or intimate. "Maybe" isn't yes. Silence isn't yes. Only yes is yes, and yes can be taken back any time.
Honesty. Be yourself. Use your real photos. Use your real age. Be upfront about what you're looking for. Nobody wants to show up to a date and meet a completely different person.
Safety. Your safety and everyone else's comes first. If something feels off, trust that feeling. Report it.
What's NOT okay here
This list isn't exhaustive, but it covers the big stuff. Break any of these and your account is at risk.
- Harassment & bullying. Including unsolicited sexual messages, pressuring someone after they've said no, repeat messaging after being ignored, or any form of intimidation.
- Hate speech & discrimination. No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, religious hate, or any attack based on who someone is. This is not tolerated.
- Fake profiles. No impersonation, no stolen photos, no pretending to be someone else. Our selfie check exists for a reason.
- Scams & solicitation. No "hey queen" crypto pitches, no sugar-daddy/sugar-baby arrangements, no promoting OnlyFans or cam sites, no asking for money, no MLM recruiting, no romance-scam scripts. We detect this stuff and act on it, up to and including a permanent ban.
- Explicit content in public spaces. Your main gallery photos need to be clothed. No nudes in display photos, no explicit sexual content in public profile fields.
- Minors or anyone under 18. HoopFrog is strictly 18+. We use age-assurance methods to help enforce this. If you believe someone may be underage, report immediately.
- Violence, weapons, or illegal activity. No promoting violence, no weapons in photos, no drugs, no illegal solicitation.
- Sharing someone's info without consent. Don't screenshot private chats and post them elsewhere. Don't share someone's location, real name, workplace, or photos. Doxxing = instant ban.
- Spam. No copy-pasted messages to multiple people, no links to sketchy sites, no advertising.
- Child sexual exploitation & grooming. Any sexualisation of, contact with, or grooming of anyone under 18 is strictly prohibited and reported to the authorities.
- Intimate-image abuse & sextortion. No sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent, and no using them to coerce, extort, or blackmail anyone.
- Cyberflashing. No sending unsolicited sexual or explicit images.
- Threats, stalking & intimidation. No threats of violence, no stalking, no monitoring or pursuing someone against their wishes.
- Fraud. No deception, fake offers, phishing, or financial fraud of any kind.
- Human trafficking & exploitation. No recruiting, advertising, or facilitating trafficking or sexual exploitation.
- Terrorism & violent extremism. No content that promotes, supports, or facilitates terrorism or violent extremism.
- Encouraging or assisting suicide or self-harm. Do not encourage, instruct, or pressure anyone toward suicide or self-harm. If you or someone you are talking to is struggling, please see the crisis resources on our dating-safely page.
Your safety toolkit
We built these features so you never feel stuck. Use them freely; they exist for you.
Age Verification (VerifyMy). We use age-assurance methods (including VerifyMy, a third-party provider) to check that users are 18+. Methods vary by region, and we continue to expand coverage. A green check means the user completed our age-assurance and selfie-match checks. It confirms they are 18+ and that their selfie matched their photos — it is not a legal identity check, background check, or a guarantee of safety. We are committed to keeping this platform strictly 18+ and continuously improving our verification coverage.
Selfie Verification. See a green check on someone's profile? That means they took a live selfie and our system confirmed their face matches their photos. What you see is what you get.
Scam Detection. We have automated scanning for scam patterns: the "hello beautiful" openers, the crypto pitches, the sudden love-bombing followed by a money ask. When something looks sketchy we flag it for our safety team, and messages from new accounts that show classic scam patterns can be held for review before they reach you.
Reporting During and After Calls. If someone is rude, inappropriate, or different from their photos, you can leave the call at any time and then report them. Open their profile or your conversation, tap the three dots, and choose Report. You can also report a video greeting that breaks the rules. Reports are reviewed by our systems and/or trained moderators.
Block and Report. From any profile or conversation, tap the three dots to block or report. Once blocked, they can't see you, can't message you, and can't find your profile. No warning sent to them, no explanation owed.
Report System. You can report a message, a profile, or a photo. Reports go straight to our moderation team and are reviewed by our systems and/or trained moderators. Serious cases get acted on quickly. Learn more about reporting.
Message Encryption. Messages are encrypted in transit and at rest; they are not end-to-end encrypted. To keep the community safe, automated systems may screen messages for fraud and abuse, and our team may review messages that are reported or where legally required.
Anti-Ghosting. We actively work against the ghosting culture that plagues other apps. If a two-way conversation goes quiet for a few days, the app sends a friendly nudge to both of you. If someone has left your messages completely unanswered, we send them a gentle push notification at 48 hours and again at 7 days. If there is still no reply after 14 days, the connection automatically closes and both of you get a notification so you can move on without the awkward ambiguity. You can also close any stale connection yourself at any time, with an optional goodbye message.
Photo Privacy Tiers. Your gallery photos are what everyone can see. Your private photos are locked; you choose who gets access, one person at a time. You decide who sees them.
Stealth (VIP). Browse profiles without showing up in anyone's "who viewed me" list. Perfect for when you want to explore without broadcasting.
Read Receipts Toggle (VIP). Decide whether people see that you've read their message. You're in charge of what you reveal.
Child safety
HoopFrog does not tolerate content that exploits or endangers minors. We believe we all have a genuine moral and legal responsibility to protect children, and we take this with the utmost seriousness.
We use age-assurance methods (including VerifyMy, a third-party provider) to check that users are 18+. Methods vary by region, and we continue to expand coverage. We actively monitor for signs of underage users or content involving minors. Where we confirm an account is operated by or targeting a minor, we act on it and remove the account.
If you encounter any content that appears to exploit or endanger a child:
- Report it immediately using the in-app report function.
- Contact us directly at safety@hoopfrog.com with the subject line "CHILD SAFETY".
- Report to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (Cybertip.ca).
- In the US, report to the NCMEC CyberTipline.
- In the UK, report to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
- In the UK, child sexual exploitation and abuse can also be reported to the National Crime Agency (NCA) CEOP.
- If a child is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first.
- Do not download, screenshot, or forward suspected CSAM — forwarding it is itself an offence.
Where we identify child sexual abuse material, we preserve the relevant data and report to the designated authorities (such as the Canadian Centre for Child Protection / Cybertip.ca, and police where applicable) as required by law.
If something feels off
Trust your gut. Seriously. If a conversation is making you uncomfortable, if a profile looks suspicious, if someone's pressuring you, act on that feeling.
- Block them. Tap the three dots on their profile or chat, select Block.
- Report them. Same menu, tap Report, pick a reason. Takes 10 seconds.
- Reach out to us. Email support@hoopfrog.com or use the in-app support chat. For urgent safety issues, mark it urgent. HoopFrog is not an emergency service; if someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services first.
- If you're in danger: Contact local emergency services. Your safety comes before anything else.
What happens if someone breaks the rules
We take reports seriously. Here's how we handle violations:
- Warning. For minor violations, we may issue a warning and remove the offending content.
- Temporary suspension. For repeated issues or more serious behaviour, the account gets suspended for a period at our discretion.
- Permanent ban. For severe violations: harassment, hate speech, scams, threats, anything involving minors, doxxing. The account is permanently removed. We also block the associated email and IP address to make repeat abuse harder.
Some violations are severe enough that, once confirmed, they lead to removal and a permanent ban: illegal content, threats of violence, sexual content involving minors, organised scam networks. Where the law requires it, we preserve the required evidence and report to the relevant authorities, then remove the content and permanently ban the account, and we cooperate with law enforcement.
Appealing a decision
If we restrict, suspend, or remove your account or content, you can appeal by contacting support@hoopfrog.com within 30 days. Your appeal will be reviewed by a member of our team who was not involved in the original decision, and we will respond.
These guidelines may change
We update these guidelines as the platform evolves and as we learn. We will notify you of significant updates, but we encourage you to check back periodically.
One more thing
You're here because you want something real. So is almost everyone else. Most of the people you'll meet are great: kind, interesting, genuine. The guidelines exist for the small minority who aren't, so they can't ruin it for the rest of us.
Be the person you'd want to meet. Be kind, be honest, be brave enough to say what you actually want. Respect other people's no. Trust your own yes.
Thanks for being here. Go find your people.
- The HoopFrog Team