Launched in 1995, Match.com is the first dating site ever created, and it’s safe to say it changed the online dating game forever.

The site is great and all—it is a part of the biggest online dating app company, it has many users, and it offers cool features, but here’s the catch:

Users have a hard time telling which profiles are active and which aren’t.

This has been an issue on the platform for ages now, and it has to end!

The issue with inactive profiles on dating platforms.

In 2010, Match.com faced a lawsuit for keeping inactive profiles and scammers on their platform.

Many people use dating apps to find love, from casual dating to marriages.

Finding numerous inactive profiles on Match.com wastes time and resources.

Scammers on the platform may ask for money under false pretenses.

Dating apps keep inactive profiles to fill their platforms and profit from users’ data.

Do you now see the issue? If you want to stop wasting your time talking to no one on the platform, here are the signs of an active Match profile:

1. The sole fact you’re seeing the profile means it’s probably active.

Match.com doesn’t let all inactive profiles go unpunished—like most dating apps, it sometimes hides profiles that haven’t been used for millennia.

As I said, there’s a 50/50 chance that the profile you’re seeing on the Discover page is active, if you’re an optimist!

I highly doubt Match is out there trying to sabotage its users’ dating experience, so boosting active profiles is probably the smart choice on the Match team’s end.

2. Also, the sole fact someone has a Match profile means they’re likely using it.

This is for the people wondering if their partner (or anyone, really) is using this particular dating site.

Unless it’s a long-forgotten account they overlooked to delete, they’re most likely using Match if they have a Match profile.

It’s only fair to assume so, but it’s also fair to assume it’s an old profile.

3. There’s a green dot on their profile.

Thankfully, Match does not allow us to disable our activity status because it’s not fair for other users who are on a mission to find love.

If you see a solid green dot on somebody’s Match profile, it means they’re either active for the time being or have been up until 45 minutes ago.

But don’t be fooled! An EMPTY green dot, on the other hand, means they’ve been active anywhere from 46 minutes to 24 hours ago or 1 day ago.

The more recent, the bigger the chance of this person being an avid Match user—anything other than these two dots means their profile is dormant.

An empty yellow circle means that the person was active between 24 hours and 3 days, and no dot at all means they have been inactive for more than 3 days.

4. They put recent photos of recent events.

If a Match user frequently updates their profile by uploading new photos, they’re most definitely active.

This on its own is a meaningful sign, but if those photos don’t suggest recent activity, I have one more trick: see if you can tell whether those pictures were taken in recent events.

E.g. seeing a photo of this person having the time of their life at a concert that was held a few days ago implies they were using the app not too long ago.

5. They change their personal details (including bio).

Photos aside, any updates done to their profile are a sign of activity, such as personal details and bio.

What you need to look out for is:

• Preferences;
• Summary;
• About Me section.

For instance, if this person graduated recently, they’ll update their degree in the About Me section; or if the age range of matches they’re seeking widens/narrows.

6. Search for active users through Search Filters.

If you go to Match.com’s Discover page, click on Search, and then Filters, you’ll have the option to find users based on their activity status.

This is for the people trying to make connections with users that *actually* use the app—finding someone specific on Match.com with this method is a bit complicated.

You might not see them on your Discover page if they haven’t logged into Match for the past few days, but that doesn’t mean they don’t use the service.

However, feel free to take your chances and search for them like this regularly.

7. Their location/distance gets updated.

You’re going to need to REALLY look for this one, as they’re most likely not traveling every day…probably.

If this person’s location or distance from you gets updated periodically, then they’re probably on Match.com often.

Users put a lot of emphasis on distance because most are looking for someone who lives close by, so this is what happens when you grant dating sites access to your location for matching purposes.

8. If someone pays for a Match subscription, they probably did so intending to use it.

Because who’s out there wasting their money on something they don’t use? Not in this economy!

Unfortunately, Match.com does not announce that someone is a Match Premium or Standard user, so this doesn’t work on strangers.

But if you suspect your spouse uses Match, just look for a Match.com subscription on their credit card statement.

This is only speculating, but honestly, dating app subscriptions aren’t the cheapest so you can’t blame us for assuming.

9. They receive Match notifications regularly.

And finally, the most obvious sign someone is active on Match might just be the fact they regularly receive notifications from the app.

Dating apps work in a way that they try to bring you in by sending you notifications whenever you receive a like or message.

Again, this is not something you can know unless you’re close to the person, but if your s.o. is receiving notifications from a service, you don’t even need to sign up to know they’re using it.

Match might not let you disable your activity status, but you can hide your profile.

There are plenty of ways for users to remain invisible on the platform, albeit Match doesn’t support activity status disabling.

For one, they can adjust their visibility to the right of their profile:

• “Anyone can see your profile”
• “No one can see you”
• “Choose who sees you”

So keep in mind that this person might be going out of their way to hide their profile from you specifically.

– Suspending your own profile on Match.com.

Match.com encourages users who want to leave the platform short-term to suspend their profiles instead of deleting them.

This can be done through Account Settings > Suspend my Account.

This doesn’t mean your Match account is wiped off the face of Earth, it’s simply hidden from other users until further reactivation.

Let’s say someone found someone on Match they really liked but believe it’s too soon to swear off online dating. What do they do?

They suspend their account.

If you’re wondering why I’m telling you all this, it’s to let you know that someone could have a Match account without having a Match account!

– Blocking someone on Match.com.

The block button has got to be one of the best inventions ever made in technology…and we’ll never NOT be thankful for it!

If you click on someone’s Match profile, you can find the option of blocking them.

When searching for someone’s dating profile, don’t forget they could have blocked you or your phone number (like how you can on Tinder).

This way you might think they don’t use the dating platform at all, when in reality they do.

Does your partner have a Match.com account?

Wondering if your partner is on Match.com? Here’s what you can do:

1. Talk to them calmly to clear any misunderstandings about their profile. If it seems old, they might have forgotten to delete it.
2. If you suspect dishonesty, confront them directly about online cheating.

Alternatively,

1. If you’re skeptical, you can investigate their phone for the Match app or use services to find dating profiles. However, this can damage your relationship.

That’s all you need to know to check if someone is using Match.com.