Why Did Badoo Block My Account?

The dating app blocks an account when it thinks the account broke its Community Guidelines, or when something about it looks unsafe. Badoo says a team works around the clock to watch for fake accounts, spam and any activity that breaks those rules. If you think it got yours wrong, you can appeal within six months, starting with the form linked in the notification you were shown.

Badoo lists several things it will not tolerate. It has zero tolerance for hate speech, sexual harassment and fetishization. It does not allow guns or other weapons in profile pictures. It also watches for fake accounts and spam.

On top of its human team, Badoo uses an AI tool called Deception Detector. It flags and prevents scams, and a human moderation team backs it. So an account can be flagged by software before any person has looked at it.

The notification you were shown is the first place to look. If it is vague, match Badoo's rules against what you did, and ask yourself a few honest questions.

• Did a photo include a weapon, or anything that could be read as one?
• Did any message to a woman include sexual remarks, or something she could take as harassment?
• Did you send the same message to many women in a row?
• Did anyone report you after a conversation went badly?

The third one is worth a note. a dating coach has described how, on the apps he used, pasting the exact same message again and again got an account suspended, and eventually banned. A formula for your openers is a smart habit. A message sent unchanged to a long run of women looks like spam.

Badoo's login troubleshooting page says that if you cannot log in, your account may be temporarily locked or under review for safety reasons. That is not the same as a permanent ban.

Whether a particular block is permanent depends on what Badoo found, and the notification you were shown is where you learn that. Do not guess. Read what it says, and note anything it asks of you.

Badoo says you can appeal a decision within six months. Here is the order to do it in.

1. Read the section of Badoo's Community Guidelines that relates to what it says you did. Badoo advises this before you appeal.
2. Fill out the appeals form linked in the notification you were shown. That is Badoo's recommended route.
3. Or contact Badoo through its online chat assistance. Explain why you are appealing and give as much detail as you can.

Write calmly and keep to facts. Say which rule you think was applied wrongly, what the account was doing, and why the decision looks mistaken. An angry message gives Support nothing to act on.

Keep it short and factual. Name the action Badoo took, as it appears in the notification. Say that you believe it was a mistake. Then give the plain facts that support you: what the account was used for, which photos it had, and what you said to women, if that is the issue.

Do not argue about whether the rule is fair. You are asking Badoo to look again at one decision, so keep to that decision. Add the date of the notification, so Support can find the right record, and then wait for the answer.

If the appeal is turned down, read the reply carefully. It may tell you which rule was applied, and that is the most useful thing you will get from the process.

Do not make a second account to get around a block. Support and the appeal are the routes Badoo points to, and a workaround only creates a second problem.

Do not send Support a long string of messages. One clear appeal is better than ten.

Keep your photos plain: your face, clear light, nothing that could be read as threatening. Write each opening message for the woman in front of you, even if it follows the same shape every time. Keep conversations respectful, including when a woman stops replying. A woman who goes quiet has told you something, and answering with an insult is the fastest way to get reported.

The habits that keep an account safe are the same ones that produce dates: honest photos, respectful messages and a little patience.