Sign in to view
member only content

For better or worse, most dating platforms place a high emphasis on users’ appearances — image-only site Dreamcliq even does away with the written word altogether. But it is very easy for people to misrepresent themselves with photographs, using old snaps or even someone else’s picture entirely. Hoping to add a bit more authenticity to online dating, Swedish site 7heaven only allows for selfies that are less than six hours old — guaranteeing that users get an honest peek at potential dates.

To begin, users download the free 7heaven smartphone app and create a profile — writing a little about themselves and uploading a recent picture. 7heaven checks the timestamps of all digital images, and only hosts pictures that were taken in the past six hours. Users can then add more selfies whenever they like, as long as they are brand new. The app also enables users to find recently uploaded selfies near them, like other users’ pictures, and browse selfie galleries.

How else could dating sites encourage users to portray themselves more honestly?