For almost everyone this is the very first question, and rightly so. The short answer: you decide entirely what is seen of you. Here is exactly how it works.
What is never visible
- Your real name. You choose your own profile name.
- Your email address. Nobody ever sees it.
- Your phone number. Visitors reach you through the site's messaging until you decide to give your number.
- Your address. You enter a municipality, not a street or house number.
Your face does not have to be in it
Many of the most-viewed profiles show no face at all. You can work with photos from the chin down, from the side, with your hair across your face, or with a mask. What matters is that your photos are real and that there are several — that is what convinces people, not whether they see your face.
Would you rather have no recognisable photos at all? Virtual work is an option: cam, chat or photos on request, without meeting anyone in person.
Four things that genuinely help
- Set up a separate email address. Not your normal one. Two minutes, and it saves a great deal later.
- Use a separate phone number if you plan to share one. A second SIM or a prepaid number is cheap.
- Check your photos for identifying details. Tattoos, a mirror showing your phone, the view from a window, a recognisable duvet cover.
- Hide your profile when you are not working. One button, invisible immediately, and back on whenever you want.
Can someone find me through Google?
Your profile is an ordinary web page, so it can appear in search results — under your profile name, not your real name. As long as that name is not one you use elsewhere and your photos are not online anywhere else, there is no thread back to your real identity. So do not use a name you also use on Instagram or Snapchat.
