How to Use SilverSingles Dating App Safely

SilverSingles is one of the largest dating services in the United States designed for adults 50 and older. The site has been around since 2002 and has matched millions of singles, including a large share of widows, widowers, and people who divorced later in life. Unlike open-to-all apps such as Tinder or Bumble, SilverSingles only accepts members 50 and up, so every profile you see falls inside your age range. The service is owned by Spark Networks, which also runs EliteSingles and several Christian dating sites, and has a US support team based in New York.

The app works on a personality-test match system. When you sign up, you answer about 100 questions about your habits, values, and what you want in a partner. The service then sends you three to seven new matches each day that score well against your profile. This is different from Tinder, where you swipe through everyone in your area. Some seniors prefer the SilverSingles way because it cuts down on the choices and helps avoid the people who are clearly wrong for you. Others find it slow. Both views are valid.

The basic SilverSingles account is free, but the free tier hides photos, blocks most messages, and only lets you send pre-written hellos. To message freely and see clear photos, you need a paid Premium membership. Plans run from about $25 to $50 per month, and most members sign up for three or six months at a time. The site runs frequent discounts, so wait a week after signup if you can. You will often get a sale email worth 20 to 40 percent off.

This guide covers signing up, building a strong profile, reviewing matches, sending a first message, handling red flags, going premium, and protecting your privacy. We also include the warning signs that point to a scammer, because every dating site has them and SilverSingles is no exception. Plan to spend about an hour on the initial setup and another half hour reviewing matches each day for the first week.