Parents' Guide to

Badoo

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Adults-only dating app uses location to match nearby people.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire Free Social Networking
Badoo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Badoo App: Screenshot #1
  • Badoo App: Screenshot #2
  • Badoo App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 8 parent reviews

Johnflirtguy
Johnflirtguy Adult
January 25, 2020
age 2+
gil52
gil52 Adult
January 5, 2020
age 18+

Badoo

It's full of scammers and fake profiles!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 8 parent reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

Register for a free account on BADOO with a Facebook account or an email address. Create a profile with a photo and answer profile questions. Select options of who you want to meet (age, gender) and why (dating, friendship). If you do not turn on location services, there are essentially no options. Location services must be activated before you begin to see other users. Tap on photos; answer "Yes," "Maybe," or "No" to meeting up; send and respond to users' messages; list favorites; and more. Badoo is an adults-only social-networking dating tool.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (8 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Badoo is a giant, worldwide social-networking site. Countless pictures of people will appear for browsing when a user registers (with messages such as "806,941 people in your area want to see what you look like and find out more about you"). Even if those people aren't all necessarily nearby, some of them likely are and they will know where you are. The user interface is orderly and easy to understand, although it seems to push people toward in-app purchasing options and inviting friends.

Badoo's app store description says it is "100 percent safe and secure," but the app's developers indicate they do not monitor and are not responsible for content posted. During this review, photos of users who appeared to be under 18 were observed. ​Badoo has been cited in reports as having problems with privacy, falsified accounts, and money scammers. It is not intended, safe, or appropriate for teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why (for legal and safety reasons) teens are prohibited from creating accounts on social-networking services, such as Badoo, that explicitly state they're for adults only.

  • For alternatives, check out Common Sense's Social-Networking Apps for Teens list.

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
  • Pricing structure: Free (You can buy optional subscription packs, "super powers," and contacts-limit increases via in-app purchases ($1.99 to $39.99). Some are auto-renew or auto top up.)
  • Release date: June 17, 2014
  • Category: Social Networking
  • Publisher: Badoo Software
  • Version: 3.6.2
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later; Android varies with device.
  • Last updated: January 23, 2019

Did we miss something on diversity?

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