Dating apps?

Simple2039

Has anyone been experiencing issues with dating apps such as tinder? I recently decided to try Graphene on my pixel for the first time. Just about a day after transitioning, I became locked out of my tinder account and asked to complete facial verification. I reluctantly complied and regained access to my account, however all incoming likes/matches have since come to a complete halt. It's been several weeks now and my account is seemingly defunct. Prior to this, I'd typically receive around 10 matches per week with moderate swiping.

Also worth mentioning is that I installed tinder from the Aurora store, and was using an always enabled VPN. I've since reinstalled from the google play store and disabled the VPN without resolution. Is the simple use of Graphene OS alone enough to trigger a ban/shadowban in tinder and apps alike? Wondering if anyone else has been dealing with this issue. As much as I value privacy and security, exile from dating apps simply due to my operating system isn't really a sacrifice I'd like to make..

treenutz68

Simple2039

This is ultimately the issue with an "unsanctioned" OS. Everyone is talking about how switching to an alternative OS is the solution to overreaching rules around age verification/KYC, etc... to use app stores.

It may help temporarily, but ultimately, the apps themselves also bend the knee to governments and will implement restrictions on unsanctioned platforms like grapheneOS.

nologo

Simple2039 I became locked out of my tinder account and asked to complete facial verification. I reluctantly complied and regained access to my account, however all incoming likes/matches have since come to a complete halt.

Sounds like the verification didn't check out, or something went wrong in this process. Did you check with Tinder's support?

Simple2039 Is the simple use of Graphene OS alone enough to trigger a ban/shadowban in tinder and apps alike?

Why would it? Did you even ask Tinder if you were banned?

Simple2039

treenutz68 If I had performed the initial install from the google play store, with google services enabled, would the app still have been able to distinguish anything atypical about my account? Do you believe this was a fault of the installation method, or an inherent limitation of graphene itself?

Johnnyloans

Simple2039 Do you believe this was a fault of the installation method, or an inherent limitation of graphene itself?

No matter how you install it, the app can tell it's not stock OS.

I don't use dating apps either but People being banned could be because a rooted or custom OS could circumvent restrictions like if screenshots are not allowed in the app for example.

I kind of doubt that because they would just prevent the app from working at all on a custom OS.

Maybe you were reported by another user?
Since it's important, you may want to try another tinder account and possibly risk another shadow ban or go to stock OS

Simple2039

nologo Sounds like the verification didn't check out, or something went wrong in this process. Did you check with Tinder's support?

After verifying, I regained access to my account the next day with a message stating the verification was successful. I've indeed contacted tinder about this issue and was provided a checklist of basic troubleshooting steps, then later told my ticket will be closed without further response.

nologo Why would it? Did you even ask Tinder if you were banned?

Not sure, that's why I'm here asking. I'm new and don't have very advanced technical knowledge of Graphene. I've read that some banking apps in particular will refuse to work, with no viable solution. In this case, I believe some kind of restriction may have been placed onto my account itself, which now follows across devices. As I searched for explanations, I discovered an entire 75k~ subreddit primarily dedicated to users attempting to resolve unexplained bans/shadowbans from match group dating apps (r/SwipeHelper). It appears these apps are particularly gung ho about issuing bans, and without transparency. There's also post here on discuss of a user who has reported being banned on Hinge for reasons unclear - https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/15918-questions-before-jumping-into-grapheneos/18

@5rlyn Word of caution about dating apps:
I do all the things when it comes to data privacy: Graphene, VPN, Email alias, etc...and it appears Hinge doesn't like that. After two weeks of no matches whatsoever, I began the process of deleting my account, only to be presented with a screen saying my account had in fact been banned. Hinge refuses to clarify what caused any of its users to receive a ban, but I didn't interact with anyone on the app so it can't have been any sort of community standards violation or anything.
Tinder has almost no real users on it at this point, and I don't agree with some of the decisions Bumble makes as a company, so I can't really speak to those apps. But I'm just letting you know I think Hinge thought my privacy precautions were suspicious enough to justify a ban.

schweizer

I am not a tinder user. Why can't you use it in the browser? It seems a bad idea to use a dating app in the first place when there are more privacy friendly alternatives around.

Simple2039

schweizer I am not a tinder user. Why can't you use it in the browser? It seems a bad idea to use a dating app in the first place when there are more privacy friendly alternatives around.

This may be what I'll end up doing if I decide to create a new account. May I ask what alternatives you're referencing?

nologo

Simple2039 I'm new and don't have very advanced technical knowledge of Graphene. I've read that some banking apps in particular will refuse to work, with no viable solution.

True, but in that case the app actually does not work, usually telling you it is not compatible with 'rooted' or non-standard OS'es. In your case, the app was successfully installed and can be used. So this is a different situation.

Simple2039 In this case, I believe some kind of restriction may have been placed onto my account itself, which now follows across devices.

Might be, but without confirmation from Tinder this remains speculation. And if it is the case, I still doubt if it is because of GOS. If they wanted to ban 'alternative' Android versions, they could simply use the Play Integrity API.

schweizer

Simple2039 I was mainly referencing to using a browser. However, offline dating is still around. I hear lots of frustration both from men and women using those online services.