Ayo Safety & Community Guidelines

Ayo introduces you to people we think could be a good fit based on what you’ve both told us. We check that everyone is 18 or over, but an Ayo match isn’t an identity or background check, and we can’t guarantee how someone will behave or whether you’ll get along.


You’re always in control of whether you connect, continue talking or decide to meet. Here’s what we do to help make those connections safer.

Contact details are only shared if you both agree to the introduction. You'll have 24 hours to decide. If you'd rather not go ahead, simply select 'No – keep looking' and Ayo will continue searching for someone else. If you don't respond within 24 hours, the introduction will expire and no contact details will be shared

Neither of you finds out who said no.

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Everyone on Ayo is age checked to make sure they’re 18 or over. An independent company called Yoti does this, so your documents never come to us. You take a selfie, Yoti estimates your age, and if you look young for your age you may be asked to confirm with an ID.

That happens to a lot of people and it is nothing to worry about. Your selfie is deleted as soon as your age is confirmed.

If you would rather not be matched to someone again, tell us and Ayo will not put them in front of you a second time - you never have to explain why.

We only ask for the info we need, and you can choose how much you want to tell us about yourself.

Once you have connected with someone, think carefully before sharing additional personal information such as your home address, workplace, financial information or anything else you would not want passed on.

We have behind-the-scenes detection tools that identify people who are breaking our community guidelines and terms of service - but we also need your help to identify people who should not be on our platform. Please report any safety concerns here.

When you make a report, a real person will review it. We may contact you if we need more information and can take action including restricting or removing someone's account.

Ayo works best when people treat each other with honesty, respect and consideration.

These guidelines set out what we expect from everyone who uses Ayo - and what we won't accept.

These standards don't stop when Ayo makes the introduction. They apply when you're using Ayo, when you're messaging someone we've introduced you to, and if you meet in person.

Be who you say you are

Your real name, your real age, and accurate information about yourself. People decide whether to connect with you based on what you tell them, so what you share should be true. 

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A photo is optional, but recommended.  

You don’t have to add a photo, but people often feel more comfortable accepting a match when they can see who they’re connecting with. If you do add one, make it recent and make sure it looks like you.

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Reply to the person you have been introduced to. 

Turn up to what you arrange. If you cannot make it, say so in good time. Changing your mind is completely fine. Leaving someone sitting in a café is not.

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Take a no gracefully. 

No is a full answer and it does not need a reason behind it.

If someone says no, goes quiet, or decides they would rather not meet after all, that is that. Asking again, or asking why, puts them in a position they did not choose.

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Keep what is shared between you

Photos, messages, phone numbers and anything someone tells you about their life belong to them.

Do not forward them, post them, or pass them round. What you learn about someone on Ayo stays with you.

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‍Be smart about money 

If you connect with a service provider, you pay them directly for any work agreed, outside Ayo. Nobody should ask you for money for any other reason, and you should never share bank details, passwords or verification codes with anyone you have met through Ayo.

Everyone's age is checked before they can be matched. If you think someone on Ayo is under 18, please tell us straight away and we will deal with it.

Ayo is for over-18s 

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Ayo is not a place to sell things or to recruit for anything, and that includes providers pitching you something you did not ask for. If anyone starts down that road, tell us, however plausible they sound.
‍Ayo is for over-18s 

Some behaviour goes beyond being inconsiderate. The following can result in an account being restricted or removed, whether the behaviour happens through Ayo, in your own messages afterwards, or face to face:

• Threats, intimidation or violence, or anything that makes someone afraid of you
• Sexual harassment, unwanted sexual behaviour, or sending sexual content nobody asked for
• Harassment, stalking or repeatedly contacting someone who has asked you to stop
• Abuse aimed at who someone is: their race, religion, disability, sexuality, gender, or anything else
• Pretending to be someone you are not
• Being under 18, or helping someone under 18 get round the age check
• Asking people for money, running a scam, or selling anything
• Sharing someone else's photos, messages or details without them agreeing
• Anything that puts a child at risk

Ayo is all about bringing real people together. Your profile photo is part of that first introduction, so it's important that it genuinely represents you. 

Adding a photo is optional, but we recommend it. People often feel more comfortable accepting a suggested connection when they can see who they're connecting with.

If you choose to add a photo, here's how to make sure it's a good one:

• Keep it real and recent. Choose a genuine photo of yourself that looks like you today.
• Make sure you're easy to see. Pick a clear, well-lit photo where your face is visible.
• Make it just you. Avoid group photos so there's no confusion about who's who.
• Keep it natural. Avoid heavy filters, sunglasses or anything that makes it difficult to recognise you.

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To help keep Ayo safe and welcoming, we don't allow photos that contain nudity, sexual or suggestive content, violence, hate symbols, criminal activity, offensive or threatening imagery. Photos that impersonate someone else or misrepresent who you are aren't allowed either.

We also don't allow photos of children, or images used to advertise or promote something.

We review photos before they're published to your profile. If yours isn't approved, try uploading another that follows these guidelines. Still having trouble? Contact our support team and we’ll be happy to help.

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A real person reads every report. We'll review what you've told us and take appropriate action, which may include restricting or removing an account. We may contact you if we need more information.

If you have already connected with the person, you may also want to block their phone number and WhatsApp account.

If you are in danger right now in the UK, please call 999 first. We cannot send help ourselves, so get yourself safe and tell us afterwards.

Meeting someone new is exciting and can be a little nerve-wracking, and both of those are normal. Here’s how to stay safe when you decide you want to meet someone we’ve connected you with in person.

• Take as long as you like before meeting. If someone is pushing you to hurry, that tells you something about them. Go at your own pace.
• Ask for a phone or video call first if that would help. It is a perfectly reasonable thing to want.
• Meet somewhere public and busy the first time. A café, a pub, a gallery. Not their place, and not yours.
• Let someone know where you are going, who you're meeting, and roughly when you will be back.
• Arrange your own transport there and back, so you can leave whenever you wan
• Keep your drink with you and know what you’re drinking.
• You don’t need to share your address, where you work, or anything about money. If someone asks for these, don’t share them and be cautious before meeting.
• You do not have to stay. If you are not comfortable, you can go, and you do not need a reason or an excuse.
• No is a complete sentence. You do not owe anyone your time if you’re not comfortable.
• If you are in danger call the emergency services - that’s 999 in the UK.

Here’s who to contact if you need help in an emergency, or you need someone to talk to in the UK.