When is it Appropriate to Hide Your Profile?

We have recently had a number of enquiries about how people use the ‘hide my profile’ function on Muddy Matches. It got us to thinking about when you should and shouldn’t hide your profile on the website. In essence, you should hide your profile if you do not wish to use your dating profile for a while, but think that you might wish to come back to it in the future.

When should you hide your profile?

When you need a break – Online dating can be time consuming if you have lots of messages to reply to (the perils of being popular) and sometimes you just need a break from it, especially if you are busy with work or family life. Hiding your profile allows you to take time out, without people being able to see your profile and being able to contact you.

You’re moving house – If you’re moving house and haven’t got access to the internet, you may wish to hide your profile until you are all set up, as it can appear to be rude if people contact you and you don’t reply in good time. If you don’t have internet access at home, but have it on your mobile phone, you can always use our Muddy Matches App, which is available for free in the App Store.

You’re working abroad – If you’ve been sent abroad for work for a few months or even years, it would prove to be very tricky to date in the UK or Ireland. By hiding your profile, you can hide it and start using the site again on your return.

You’re not ready to date at the moment – Sometimes your confidence can be dented and you just need a bit of ‘me time’. If you don’t feel ready to start chatting to people, it is a good idea to hide your profile so that you can come back to it when you are ready.

You’ve started a new relationship – At the start of a new relationship, you may not wish to cancel your dating site membership as you’re not sure whether you will go the distance. Keeping your profile hidden will reassure your date that you aren’t looking for other people.

Why you shouldn’t hide your profile

It can seem stalkerish if you view people then immediately hide your profile – If you look at someone’s profile, add them to your favourites or send them a message when your profile is live they will receive a notification. If you then choose to hide your profile, they will think that they’ve been contacted by the invisible man or invisible woman. Hiding and un-hiding your profile can unsettle people, so please make a decision either way.

People can’t contact you – If you are keen to meet someone, then hiding your profile is counteractive as you will not be able to contact anyone and they will not be able to contact you.

It blocks everyone out – Some people choose to hide their profile if they have had a negative experience with one other user. The best thing to do in this situation is to ‘block’ the other user, which will prevent them from viewing your profile and contacting you.

For more information, please see our FAQs.