Tinder is the go-to dating app for millions. The app can be a great way to date and also make new friends.
Tinder has strong privacy settings that help you to do this safely. The platform supports blocking known contacts, pausing, and even deleting your account.
Sometimes, though, these blocks go too far. You may block someone you didn’t mean to. Tinder itself is also sometimes blocked on certain networks and in certain countries.
In this guide, you’ll discover more about how to unblock Tinder contacts, as well as ways to keep using the app wherever you swipe.
How can I unblock someone on Tinder?
If you blocked contacts in your address book when you created your Tinder account, you can view these by going to Settings > Connections > Block Contacts. Next, tap the section marked ‘Blocked.’
This will list all email addresses and phone numbers that have been blocked from viewing your profile.
From here, you can tap “Unblock” next to each blocked contact. Alternatively, hit the menu icon in the top right-hand corner, then select “Unblock All.”
How can I unblock someone on Tinder without their number?
According to Tinder, when you block a profile that isn’t in your contacts this is a permanent action and can’t be undone.
Why is Tinder blocked?
If your Tinder app isn’t working, this may be for a number of reasons:
Account Verification Required
Tinder has automated procedures to check that a user is a human being and not a bot. If these are triggered, you may be asked to solve a series of CAPTCHA challenges, like selecting pictures of a banana from a group of images.
In order to prove you don’t have a fake account, you may be asked to pose for a couple of selfies to make sure your face matches the pictures on your Tinder profile. This has to be manually reviewed so that it can take a few minutes.
Banned Account
Tinder does ban accounts for legitimate reasons like hate speech. But the platform also sometimes bans people unfairly. For instance, the app allows people to identify as transgender, but many trans people have had their accounts closed, even without breaching Tinder’s community guidelines.
Network Policies
Certain networks, like those in schools and public Wi-Fi, may block connections to Tinder for safety reasons.
In 2018, cybersecurity firm Checkmarx demonstrated that photos sent to Tinder used a basic form of HTTP, meaning bad actors connected to the network could view users’ photos, as well as who they’re swiping on. Tinder quickly patched these flaws, but technically, it’s still possible for other people on a network to detect you’re using the app and block connections.
Tinder is Blocked in Your Country
Tinder is blocked in certain countries. If you’re using the app on a mobile device, it won’t be able to view or match with other contacts if you’re connecting via a local ISP. It’s also likely you won’t be able to access the Tinder website via your web browser.
Tinder has Shut Down Services in Your Country
Tinder has voluntarily blocked its service in certain countries. For instance, in February 2024, Tinder shut down in Belarus. Although Tinder didn’t officially give a reason for this, there’s been speculation that the government was using the app to target protestors.
How to get unbanned on Tinder?
If you feel that you were banned from Tinder in error, the Tinder support pages provide details on how to complain via the Appeal Center.
Are Tinder bans permanent?
If your Tinder account has been banned, you can file a request via the Appeal Center via the help pages, as outlined above. If the appeal fails, the ban will be permanent.
What do I do if I can’t recover my Tinder account?
In theory, you can use a VPN to make it appear as if you’re connecting from a new location using a different IP address. You could then download the app, e.g., via the Google Play store, then create another account on Tinder using different credentials like your Apple ID. You could even use a new phone to appear to be a different person.
If you’re doing this to circumvent a ban, though, this would be a violation of Tinder’s Community Guidelines. This is why it’s best to go through the right channels to appeal a ban rather than try to bypass it.
How to unblock Tinder on Public Wi-Fi and other networks?
If the network to which you’re connected blocks Tinder, it may be doing other things to monitor your traffic, such as logging websites you visit.
The best defense against this is to switch to an alternative network, such as by connecting to the internet via 4G/5G from a mobile device. That way, you know no one else is sharing your connection.
If this isn’t an option, you can also unblock Tinder by using a VPN (see below).
Which countries block Tinder?
Tinder is currently blocked in Pakistan, China, the UAE, Cuba and Iran. Tinder has also shut down the platform in Russia and Belarus.
How to Unblock Tinder in restricted countries?
If you live in a country where Tinder is blocked, you can still access Tinder using a reliable VPN service like hide.me VPN.
While using a VPN, your device can establish a secure connection to a dedicated server based outside the country. As the server fetches content you need, Tinder will work even if it’s usually blocked in your location.
How to unblock your Tinder profile while traveling?
If Tinder isn’t banned in your home country and you travel to one where it is, the app won’t disappear from your device. However if you connect via a local ISP, you won’t be able to connect to the platform to view other profiles or match with them.
If you know you’re going to a country where Tinder is shut down or banned, make sure to sign up with a secure VPN provider before you travel so you can keep using the app.
Will my ISP/network manager know I’m using Tinder via a VPN?
If correctly configured, your VPN connection is encrypted. This means anyone monitoring your connection won’t know that you’re using the Tinder app or accessing the website.
Suppose your ISP/network manager uses advanced monitoring techniques like DPI (Deep Packet Inspection). In that case, they may be able to detect your device is connected to a VPN service, but that won’t reveal you’re using Tinder.
How can I connect with more Tinder users in different locations?
The official way to meet new people in different countries is via ‘Passport.’ In the website’s own words, this Tinder subscription service allows you to “…search by city or drop a pin on the map and begin Liking, matching and chatting [with] others in the destination of your choice.”
To change your location with Passport, simply tap your Profile icon. Next, go to Settings. Scroll down and tap ‘Location’. From here you can choose ‘Add New Location’. You can change your location as many times as you like, but you can only be in one virtual location at a time.
Protect your identity on Tinder and hide your true location
You can use a VPN and/or GPS spoofing to make it appear as though you’re in a different location and view Tinder profiles there. Read our dedicated guide on how to spoof your Tinder location for more information.
If you want to protect your identity on Tinder, you can also hide your profile so it’s only visible to people you’ve already liked.
To do this, tap your profile icon and choose Settings. Scroll down to ‘Enable Discovery’ and tap the switch to disable this option.
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