Your safety comes first.

Every photo is reviewed. When you upload a picture it does not go live straight away. A moderator looks at it first, and anything explicit is rejected. That usually takes a few hours. It is slower than an automatic filter and it catches things an automatic filter does not.

Nobody can message you first. Messaging only opens once two people have each liked the other. This is enforced in the database, not just hidden in the interface — there is no way around it.

Blocking works both ways. Block someone and they vanish from your feed, your search results, your matches and your messages — and you vanish from theirs. They are not told, and they cannot tell the difference between being blocked and you having deleted your account.

Reports are confidential. A report goes straight to a moderator. The person reported is never told who reported them, and you will not be shown the outcome — because a visible outcome would itself be a way of confirming who filed it.

Most of this is common sense, but it is worth saying plainly.

• Meet somewhere public the first time, and somewhere you already know if you can.
• Tell someone where you are going and roughly when you expect to be back.
• Sort out your own way there and your own way home. Don't rely on a lift from someone you've just met.
• Keep your phone charged and on you.
• Stay in charge of your own drink, and be careful about how much you have when you're meeting someone new.
• If something feels off, leave. You don't owe anyone an explanation, and you don't have to be polite about it.

Take your time before sharing anything that identifies you outside Apoile. There is no rush, and anyone pushing you to move faster than you want to is telling you something useful about themselves.

• Keep chatting inside Apoile until you're comfortable. Moving to another app removes the ability to block or report.
• Don't share your home or work address, your financial details, or documents like a passport or driving licence.
• Be careful with photos that show your street, your building or your workplace.
• Never send money to someone you have not met, no matter how convincing the reason. This is the single most common way people are defrauded on dating apps.

• They ask for money, gift cards, or help with an investment or cryptocurrency.
• They refuse to video call or meet, but always have a reason.
• They want to move to another app or to text almost immediately.
• Their story keeps changing, or their photos don't match what they tell you.
• They pressure you — for photos, for personal details, for a meeting you don't want.
• They claim an emergency shortly after you start talking.

If you see any of these, use the report button. It takes a few seconds and it helps everyone else on Apoile.

Report the profile, then block it. Both are on every profile and in every conversation.

If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first. Apoile is a small team and cannot respond as fast as they can.

You can also contact us directly.