What Does the Blue Checkmark Mean on Tinder?

A blue checkmark means Tinder has verified that the person looks like their photos. They recorded a short video selfie, and Tinder compared the face in it with the photos on the account. Where Tinder offers ID Verification, the badges split. A blue camera icon means photo verification only, and a blue ID icon means an ID check only. The full blue checkmark means both were passed.

Most men assume there is one badge. In places with ID Verification there are three, and they say different things.

The blue camera icon means the person passed Photo Verification. Their video selfie matched the photos they chose. The blue ID icon means they passed an ID check against a government-issued photo ID. The blue checkmark means they did both, which Tinder calls ID + Photo Verification.

Where ID Verification is not offered, the blue checkmark you see is the Photo Verification badge. Either way, the heart of it is the same: the face on the account was checked against a live video of a real person.

Tinder's Photo Verification asks for a short video selfie. Its system checks that a real, live person took the video and that it was not digitally altered. Then it compares the face in the video with the face in the photos on the account.

If the two agree, the badge goes on. If someone later adds new photos, Tinder says those are subject to continued verification, and deleting photos can mean going through the check again. So the badge is not a one-time stamp that can sit over a completely different set of photos.

Tinder is careful here. It calls the blue check a signal that someone is who they claim to be based on their photos, and it says the badge does not promise anyone's identity or safety. It still tells you to use your own judgment and follow its safety tips before meeting anyone.

Think about what the check covers. It answers one question: is the person in these photos the person who owns the account? It says nothing about whether her job is real, whether she wants what you want, or whether the two of you will get on.

a dating coach calls the second half of that problem personality catfishing. A woman can look exactly like her photos and still be someone you would not want to spend an evening with. His fix is a short phone or video call before you set up a date. That call covers what no badge can: how she talks, whether she is fun, and whether the chemistry is there.

Now look at the badge from her side.

Women on the apps are wary of fake accounts and of men who look too good to be true. That wariness comes up again and again in a dating coach's material on how women read a man's photos. A woman deciding whether to reply is quietly asking whether you are real. A checkmark answers that before she has to wonder.

That does not make her like you. It removes one reason to hesitate, so her attention goes to what matters: your photos, your words and the first thing you say to her.

Photo Verification takes a few minutes. Tinder's steps are:

1. Open Tinder and tap the profile icon.
2. Tap the gray checkmark by your name.
3. When you see Get Verified, tap Continue.
4. Allow Tinder to use your camera if it asks.
5. Frame your face in the oval and tap I'm Ready.
6. Follow the prompts to record the short video selfie.

Tinder lists the usual reasons a video gets turned down:

• Your face is not prominent in the frame.
• Something blocks or covers it.
• Your expression is not neutral.
• The video is too dark or unclear.
• The person in the video does not look like the person in your photos.

So find good light, take off the sunglasses and cap, keep a relaxed, neutral face, and fill the oval.

The checkmark is good news, and it should make you relax about one thing only.

If her photos are verified, you can stop wondering whether they are really her. You can still apply a dating coach's habit of looking at every photo she chose rather than just the best one, because the less flattering shot is often closer to what you will see across the table.

And if she has no badge, that is not a red flag on its own. Verification is optional for most people. Behavior tells you more: a story that keeps changing, someone who dodges every call, or anyone who asks you for money is a reason to walk away, badge or no badge.