Can you break up with a dating app?

Click on a circle to watch a narrative video portraying the experience of one of five people going through the account deletion process in different dating apps.

Badoo
Grindr
Happn
Mamba
Zoosk

About the project

We have taken a look at five popular dating apps:

  • Badoo
  • Grindr
  • Happn
  • Mamba
  • Zoosk

We determined how many steps it takes to permanently delete account on each one. To make it easier to understand, we crafted five narrative videos to show the account deletion process and demonstrate how frustrating it can be, as well as providing step-by-step guides.

Dating apps make account deletion purposely difficult or at times impossible, leading to very personal information of yours staying online against your wishes.


Online dating platforms enable individuals to find and connect with new people over the internet, with the intent to develop personal, romantic or sexual relationships. The vast majority of online dating services can be accessed from personal computers and mobile devices alike.

In order to work, dating apps request a lot of information from potential new members: pictures, physical locations, habits, health information and much more. This information is valuable, in that it is used to matchmake dates through the platforms’ enigmatic algorithms.

Information type# of usersApp name# of questionsUniqueinformationBADOOBUMBLEGRINDRHAPPNJAUMOMAMBAPLENTY OFFISHTANTANTINDERZOOSKabout meageage rangehow ambitiousare youbodytypecarchildrencurrent citynative cityhair/eye colourcompanyconversation starterscooking skillswould you datea fat personwould youdate a smokerdietdrinkingdrugseducationleveleducationethnicityexercisefamily infogendergoalgreetingheighthiv statusincomeinterestsjob titlelanguageslivinglongestrelationshipmeet atmusicacceptance of nsfw picsperfect matchpersonalitydescriptionpetsphonenumberprofile questionsprofile photoadditionalphotospoliticsprofilepromptpronounsrelationshipstatusreligionsex positionsexualpreferencessexualityshow meshow me (women/men)smokingtattoosmy tribesweightpostal/ZIP codestar sign200 mil usersBADOO25 questions22 mil usersBUMBLE27 questions27 mil usersGRINDR20 questions40 mil usersHAPPN19 questions25 mil usersJAUMO26 questions18.9 mil usersMAMBA27 questions90 mil usersPLENTY OFFISH38 questions60 mil usersTANTAN20 questions50 mil usersTINDER14 questions40 mil usersZOOSK25 questions

For more information on what dating apps ask of their users, check out What kind of information is required by 10 different dating applications and which are unique among them? from Digital dating: faking oneself & stolen profiles.