Ghosting can sometimes feel like a word from the dictionary of modern dating, but that’s not the whole story. It can take many shapes and forms: from friends and family to potential employers or even institutions. Yikes, right?

So, what is ghosting? Ghosting is defined as an abrupt ending of all communication with someone without giving them a reason or an explanation. The culprit quite literally becomes a ghost vanishing into thin air and refusing an opportunity for closure. Often, the ghoster will slowly – or suddenly – stop responding to your messages or calls, but sometimes it goes even further, resulting in them unfriending or blocking you on social media out of the blue.

Ghosting can have many core causes: growing out of a relationship, avoiding conflict, struggling with mental health. According to data, 84% of Gen Z and Millennials have been ghosted at some point in their lives. Nearly 2 in 3 in this demographic have ghosted someone else. So, if so many of us do it, is ghosting even that bad? What kind of consequences can it have, and how do we learn to communicate better? Should we even try?

Despite its popularity, ghosting continues to be quite divisive. On one hand, it can have a profound psychological impact on the one being ghosted, due to its abrupt and uncertain nature. It can sometimes leave the person on the receiving end feeling abandoned and insecure, especially if pre-existing attachment sensitivities are involved. Ghosting can create trust issues and make future friendships more difficult to navigate.

On the other hand, data shows that 86% of respondents feel relief rather than regret after ghosting someone they couldn’t bring themselves to talk to. Supporters of ghosting report that it can be a great tool in service of protecting personal boundaries. Ghosting can also prevent lengthy, emotionally draining discussions. Additionally, in situations when personal safety is at risk, it might be the only available option to leave a relationship unharmed.

So, ghosting isn’t great, but it’s also not the end of the world. The real answer lies in the context. Sometimes it’s a sign to move on, and other times it’s a wake-up call to choose connections with better communication. Either way, keep your head up and remember – you deserve people who show up for you and stay in your life.

Ghosting is a significant part of modern relationships. This is why it’s important to understand the reasons behind it, uncovering both sides of the story. With 66% of Gen Z and Millenials having an experience of ghosting someone, it’s safe to say a majority will decide to ghost somebody one time or another. So why do we ghost? The reasons are varied, but the most common ones are convenience, conflict avoidance, and the normalization of this behavior.

Relationships, sadly, sometimes end. Occasionally, it is because you’ve grown apart with your oldest friends, at times, it’s new friendships that do not fully work out for you. While it takes time and effort to end a relationship with another person, giving them time to process and ask questions, ghosting can prove an easy solution for those who seek convenience.

Let's face it – conflict is hard. Having to tell someone you don't want to be their friend anymore is even harder. Ending a relationship requires both people to be vulnerable and express feelings they'd rather keep hidden. Ghosting offers an easy escape from this vulnerability, effectively shutting down any potential conflict before it begins.

The rise of online spaces and relationships has significantly contributed to the normalization of ghosting. When engaging with others digitally, relationships can sometimes feel less personal and easier to drop. And then, there’s reduced accountability and lack of consequences for disappearing without explanation.

Let’s be real for a moment – you have probably been both the ghoster and the ghostee at some point in your life. Take a moment to reflect on why you ghosted someone. Was it simply an easy way out, or did you think you were sparing their feelings? While ghosting might sometimes feel like a natural response, remembering everyone's basic need for closure can help us move away from ghosting and build better online communication.

Ghosting can be hard to cope with, after all – it’s a form of rejection, albeit most often a digital one. It can bring about feelings of regret and shame, or even trigger a feeling of insecurity caused by lack of closure. Here at Yubo, we understand how ghosting can bring you down, so we’d like to offer you some simple tips on how to deal with being ghosted.

If you find yourself getting ghosted, it’s important to remember that it is not your fault. People ghost others for all kinds of reasons: a need to withdraw from a relationship without conflict, insecurity, emotional unavailability, or even burnout and stress.

While dwelling too long on a ghosting experience can be harmful, taking time to process it can be helpful. Give yourself space to reflect on all aspects of the friendship – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Focus on your side of the story – your own experiences. Likely you won’t ever get an explanation, but you can be responsible for your closure. If you need a ritual to help you process – write a letter you are not intending to send. After that, focus on moving forward.

While you might initially want to seek closure by repeatedly reaching out, doing so can hinder your healing. If you’re glued to their social media profile 24/7 or sit motionlessly for hours hoping for a text, start setting boundaries for yourself. Limit your screen time. You can even enable Focus mode on your phone – check out Yubo's guide on how to set this up. Unfollow or even block the person who ghosted you to avoid unnecessary reminders.

Spend some time engaging in activities that make you feel good. Self-care is great for boosting your confidence and helping to shift your focus. Rely on friends and family to help you with processing your emotions. Ask them to offer reassurance when you’re feeling down. 

After taking some time to reflect and grieve the relationship that has ended, try connecting with someone again. Maybe you could even meet new friends locally with Yubo's "Near You" feature! Remember: not everyone will treat you the same way. It can be hard to trust again after being ghosted, but don’t let it scare you away from pursuing new friendships.

So, maybe you’ve chosen ghosting to end relationships previously – no shame, it happens. Maybe couldn’t find the right words, panicked or just waited too long to respond and it just became awkward. But it doesn’t have to stay this way. If you’re up for levelling up your communication skills, here are some tips on how to get better at expressing your feelings in an honest and upfront way.

Firstly, practice a little! Try saying what you want to say without overthinking or overcomplicating it. Keep it short and real. A simple and effective sentence here would be something like “Hey, I don’t think this is working out, but I wish you the best.” It’s brief, and to the point and does not require a whole essay to communicate what’s at its core. If you need more ideas, check out this article on what to say instead of ghosting someone.

Next, prepare for it to get awkward. It doesn’t always have to be, but sometimes parting ways or setting boundaries can feel uncomfortable. It’s a lot like ripping off a Band-Aid. Don’t stall waiting for a better time – just do it as soon as possible after you’ve realised your relationship is not working for you.

Be mindful of your boundaries, too. Ghosting can feel like the only way because the other person isn’t respecting your space or decisions. If that’s the case, you can choose to say, “I need some space and won’t be able to keep talking.” No need to over-explain yourself. Try being upfront about your needs.

Lastly, celebrate your wins. When you’re choosing clear and direct communication over ghosting, give yourself a little pat on the head. Remember: you’re learning and growing. Don’t forget to give yourself credit for being real and taking care of your needs.

Communication is a skill that grows with practice. As you gain confidence, you'll be able to move past ghosting and engage with others more openly. Through honesty and empathy, you can build stronger connections and avoid the painful effects that ghosting often creates. When you end relationships respectfully and provide space for closure, everyone involved can have more meaningful experiences.

And as for those who ghosted you? They don’t get a say in your story. Use this experience as a chance to reflect on what truly matters in your relationships. You have the power to build healthy connections with clear communication. And if you're ready to start fresh, why not begin that journey by downloading Yubo today? 

Yubo’s Tips on Surviving the World’s Ghosting Epidemic

At Yubo, we believe safety and trust are the foundation of meaningful online connections. That’s why, long before lawmakers and government regulators around the world began to discuss requirements for age assurance on social platforms, Yubo became the first major social platform in the world to implement platformwide age verification. This proactive step reflects our safety-by-design philosophy and our commitment to creating a space where people can interact with one another safely. 

This week, we are commemorating the two-year anniversary of our September 2022 milestones of age-verifying for 100% of Yubo users in partnership with Yoti, the leading digital identity solutions provider. 

Here’s how our pioneering efforts are setting a new standard for online safety. 

Revolutionizing Safety with 100% Age Verification

In 2022, Yubo partnered with Yoti, a leader in facial age estimation technology, to take age gating – a feature that separates users into communities based on their age – to the next level. By the end of the year, Yubo required 100% of its users to verify their age. This made Yubo the first app globally to achieve this milestone.

Using Yoti’s privacy-preserving technology, age verification on Yubo works in seconds:

Users provide their birthdate upon sign-up or at their next login.

A live image is captured in-app and analyzed by Yoti.

The system verifies if the image matches the birthdate provided.

If the results are inconclusive, users can adjust their date of birth or submit an ID and another live image for manual review by Yubo’s Safety Specialists. Roughly 87% of users are able to successfully verify their age on Yubo at first attempt.

Yubo implemented platformwide age verification years ahead of key regulations in its major markets, including:

Recent age assurance bills in U.S. states like California, Utah, and Texas

Australia’s 2024 legislation requiring social media users to be 16 or older

This proactive approach showcases Yubo’s dedication to leadership in safety, not just compliance.

Survey Insights: How Users Feel Safer on Yubo

In October 2024, we asked over 10,000 users about their experiences with age verification:

79% said they feel safer on Yubo compared to other platforms because of age verification.

60% reported a positive impact on their overall app experience.

53% said it increased trust in the authenticity of their interactions.

By verifying user ages, we not only protect minors from inappropriate content and interactions but also enhance the experience for adults, who can confidently connect with peers without fear of misrepresentation.

Age verification doesn’t just safeguard users – it also reduces the prevalence of bots. By requiring live images, we’ve made it nearly impossible for automated accounts to gain access. In a survey of over 1,000 long-term users, 50% reported noticing fewer bot accounts since the rollout of age verification.

Bots are notorious for spreading misinformation, facilitating scams, and manipulating public opinion. By tackling this issue head-on, Yubo strengthens its position as a trusted platform for real connections.

Boosting Engagement and Community Quality

Age verification has also enhanced engagement and retention by ensuring users are grouped with peers in livestreams and profile swipes. Today, 70% of Yubo’s users are over 18, and they benefit from an environment tailored to their interests and preferences.

Among pre-2022 users, nearly one-third reported improved interaction quality thanks to age verification. These results highlight how trust and safety can drive user satisfaction.

Leading the Industry with Safety and Growth

Yubo’s proactive investment in age verification demonstrates that user safety and business success go hand in hand. By addressing the challenges of online safety before they became regulatory mandates, we’ve shown the power of innovation in building trust.

As Yubo co-founder and CEO Sacha Lazimi puts it:

“Our team is grateful for the opportunity to work with partners like Yoti to continually break ground in online safety innovation and provide young people with the level of safety they are entitled to online.”

At Yubo, we’re proud to be a global leader in online safety. By pioneering age verification, we’ve created a platform where users can feel secure, connected, and valued—today and for years to come.

You can access our case study with Yoti about facial age estimation on Yubo on Yoti’s website. 

How Yubo Pioneered 100% Age Verification to Set a New Standard for Trust & Safety on Social Media

As the popular film title suggested, the kids may be all right, but our planet certainly isn’t. In 2024, we experienced some of the hottest days ever recorded, and this trend does not seem to let up. The oceans are still warming and rising. Since 1970, wildlife populations have declined by 73% on average. Plastic? Everywhere. Reaching the “net zero” pledged in the Paris Agreement seems unrealistic as very little progress has been made to decrease carbon emissions. If anything, those emissions are predicted to rise by 0.8% in 2024. Nevertheless, some politicians continue to disregard the planetary emergency we find ourselves in, leaving the communities-at-risk to fend for themselves.

All of this paints a grim picture, causing young people to suffer extreme levels of anxiety linked to uncertainty of their future on our burning planet. While affecting all of humanity equally, younger generations were the first ones to grow up in a world where climate disasters became the norm, not the exception. Sometimes, this results in fatalism and resignation, and while understandable, those are of little help when it comes to taking action for climate justice. So, if climate emergency is indeed impossible to ignore, we should all become better-equipped in thinking about the possible ways to stop and revert it, and applying those strategies in our personal lives. After all, caring about our planet isn’t just about fearing the future; it’s about loving, preserving and refusing to let go of those wonderful things that we still have. It is not fear, but the power of love and care for our planet is the feeling we need to harness to fight climate change.

At Yubo, we take our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments seriously. Among them is raising awareness about climate change. Using the influence we have within our industry, we aspire to always support and contribute to the fight for better climate. We believe that promoting high standards of conduct in tech as well as encouraging positive behaviors in our industry, our workplace and among our users are fundamental to accomplishing sustainable growth in the long term.

At Yubo headquarters in Paris we have implemented some important steps towards eco-friendliness. We recycle our office waste in partnership with Les Joyeux Recycleurs. We also switched away from using plastic cups in the office as well as stopped using coffee capsules, opting in for coffee beans with less packaging instead. Finally, we transformed our rooftop terrace into an urban garden where we grow fruit, vegetables and herbs! This helps us to reduce the building's carbon footprint and encourages our colleagues to spend some time in a natural environment, participating in practice of “urban picking”. All these little steps are designed to reduce the negative impact on the environment that modern workplaces unfortunately contribute to, and to relieve the personal stress associated with climate change as everyone gets to play their part in making the future a little more liveable.

We all know about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. However, in our increasingly digitized lives, it is important to remember that technology has a carbon footprint too. Every text you send, TikTok you scroll past and duplicate photos you forget to delete from your device uses energy, and that energy often comes from fossil fuels, the primary culprit of global warming. But don’t worry, we’re not here to make you feel guilty! Instead, we’d like you to consider digital sustainability and see what tweaks you can implement into your daily digital habits to offset the impact you have on the environment. The movement for digital sustainability is designed to teach us to think about using technology in a way that is mindful of our shared planet. So, here’s some inspiration if you’ve been waiting to switch things up and contribute to a better future.

With the abundance of digital files we hold on to, our cloud storage can quickly become cluttered and unruly. But in the same way that money doesn’t grow on trees, your cloud files don’t go to a mysterious secret place outside our physical world. They are stored on servers somewhere, and those servers are powered by energy. This is why it is extremely important to sort through and organize your files to make sure you’re not keeping things you don’t need. Remember to delete emails you’re unlikely to open, unsubscribe from irrelevant newsletters and clean up your photo library deleting duplicates, unnecessary screenshots and the like.

Don’t cycle through your devices too fast

We all know how great a shiny new smartphone feels! However, e-waste is a big contributor to the planetary environmental issues that we face. In 2019, 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste was produced in the world. Only 17.4% of this waste was collected and recycled. When considering a new gadget, think back to these numbers. If your current smartphone or laptop still works, maybe you should hold onto it, and if it doesn’t – try repairing it first. When you do decide to upgrade, make sure to recycle the old one properly.

Did you know that standby power could use up to 10% of your overall household energy, and is responsible for 1% of total global CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to the output of several large power plants? Keeping this in mind, it is important to unplug your devices, as they still draw energy when plugged in, even if not in use. If you have power strips installed in your home, remember to use them too as they allow you to cut power from multiple devices simultaneously. Other things you could do include turning your devices off instead of just leaving them to “sleep” as well as using energy-efficient settings such as dark mode.

Your web search traffic produces carbon emissions too. For instance, Google produces 0.11 grams of CO2 per search. This is why it’s important to choose a good search engine that can help you offset your carbon footprint. Here’s the list of engines you could try using!

Ecosia: If you love trees, this one is for you. 100% of Ecosia’s profits go to climate action, with 80% of their income spent on planting trees. Importantly, they plant native tree species and stay away from monocultures.

Ekoru: This search engine helps you to clean up plastics from the ocean with every click. They also help to “reforest” it by planting ocean seagrass. Ekoru works with initiatives such as Big Blue Ocean Cleanup and Operation Posidonia.

OceanHero: This is another engine for ocean lovers. Like Ekoru, they prevent the plastic from entering our oceans, and they do it with style! On average every 5 searches with OceanHero helps recover one plastic bottle.

So here you go! Now you know about some simple strategies to help you offset your digital carbon footprint. While small, all of the above can help us make a huge difference and move towards maintaining our planet for ourselves and the generations to come.

Sometimes being looped into a 24/7 news cycle, reporting on each and every way in which we are killing our planet, can generate feelings of helplessness and anxiety. But here’s the deal: while it’s absolutely understandable to feel overwhelmed by the state of things, it’s also important not to let that anxiety rule over our everyday life. We need to stay optimistic, if the current climate emergency is the problem we intend to solve. So if you’re in need of a breather, we’d like to offer you a list of things you could try to soothe the negative emotions associated with climate change.

Being the huge problem it is, climate change tends to make people feel powerless about ever stopping it. However, implementing small eco-conscious habits into your life can help you to feel that you’re not staying idle and indifferent. It also connects you to the larger movement of people who take the current state of affairs as seriously as you do.

Being in nature can remind us why we care about our planet and ecology. Go outside to sit under an old tree, grab your binoculars and go do some birdwatching or simply take a brief walk in your local park. Appreciating nature and staying connected to it can give us a welcome relief from the stress and anxiety we’re feeling.

With so much doomer content on the internet, it can sometimes feel unavoidable. But we challenge you to surround yourself with positive news, too! Give some activist initiatives a follow on social media, or find and watch a documentary about people making real change in the world. Get inspired into action, not scared into it.

Another thing to remember is that you’re not alone in this fight. There’s a whole generation of young people who are taking action every day, as concerned about the planet as you are. So make sure to find your people. Go on a march, chat with your friends, or even find someone on Yubo by using our causes tags. Knowing that you belong in a group of like-minded people can help you soothe the anxiety from feeling like you’re all on your own.

We know that the climate crisis is real. Feeling anxious about it is also totally understandable. But remember that the key to reducing that anxiety is taking climate action, focusing on the love for the planet, and finding moments of inspiration. It’s impossible to save the world overnight, but every small action adds up.

Remember to take breaks from the doom and gloom, we won’t judge you for spending some time scrolling TikTok, but make sure to come back when you are feeling recharged and remember to balance it out with some positive action!

Digital habits for a healthier planet

Swipe? Nah – maybe? Nah. Swipe? Maybe yes? Seems friendly enough, but what if they’re not? Is that what I want? How could I possibly know?

It’s unclear when dating apps started feeling like trying to keep a job, but it’s unanimous – they just do. Every week, more articles about dating-app burnout pop up on the Internet. It is reported that younger generations feel the most tired of endless swiping, with 80% of millennials and 79% of Gen Z admitting to feelings of fatigue associated with dating online.

Using dating apps often feels impersonal, and creating your own profile has long turned into a weird marketing exercise with hours spent on selecting pictures and honing in your bio. It’s interesting, too, how dating apps, designed to connect us, can actually make people feel lonelier. The more profiles you swipe, the more people blur into a faceless mass of “maybes” or “not-quites.” So why are dating apps so popular and so frustrating at the same time? We found three main reasons for this.

A lack of real connection 
With countless potential match options on dating apps, engaging in numerous identical conversations at the same time soon becomes tedious. After all, there's a limit to how many times you can ask someone their favorite color! Given the chances that the conversation will fizzle out, you're inclined to invest minimal energy in initial chats. Then, you find yourself trapped in a cycle: matching, having lifeless conversations, and ultimately never hearing from them again… only to match the next person, with little-to-no hope of a better outcome.

Endless swiping 
Have you seen so many profiles that everyone starts blending together like one giant TikTok algorithm of red flags and awkward mirror selfies? Relatable? Endless swiping can become demoralizing, and studies even show that the use of dating apps is often linked to increased anxiety, lower self-esteem, and frustration. People are left feeling like they’re auditioning for a part they never get, endlessly comparing themselves and their matches until they don’t even know who they are anymore.

Rigidity of expectations 
Dating apps often pressure you to know and disclose what you're looking for immediately. It goes even deeper than just defining if you’re looking for a long-term relationship or something more casual. The reason to go on a dating app is to try to find someone to date. However, most lasting relationships are found organically, when you aren't trying at all. Arguably, putting emphasis on dating from the get-go creates a rigidity and kills the element of surprise that is so fundamental to building social relationships. Here at Yubo, we try to bring serendipity and surprise back into online social interactions, allowing our users to forego labels and expectations when connecting with someone new.

There is something special about meeting someone new. You start talking with them – let’s say at a friend’s party, or in a gaming Discord channel – and you get to connect freely, without any pressure or expectations. Possibilities are truly endless: you can go on to become close friends after a while, or start meeting up every Saturday for a game of Among Us, or just never talk to them again.

Real connection takes time and often starts with the simplest forms of companionship. Think back to being a kid – when you went up to your new bestie in the playground, did you think about what they could do for you? Did you judge them on their jacket or wonder if you’d be friends five years down the line? No! They were there and you were here, and you wanted someone to chill with. From those simple beginnings, you made a connection that could last for the rest of your lives. Or not – and that was okay too. Here at Yubo, we want to recreate that magical serendipity that was a large part of our lives back when we were kids. So, how do we do it?

Multiple connection points 
While it’s possible to make friends whilst swiping on Yubo, it’s not the only way to meet new people on the app. The Live tab is one such place, where you can browse people having video and voice conversations in real life, or alternatively start your own and wait for other people to join! This allows for deeper connections like seeing someone’s face, body language and mannerisms, or hearing their voice, which can make you click a lot faster than matching and chatting via text messages. You can also find friends through our Fast Add feature, which forgoes swiping and sends out 100, 200 or 500 friend requests to random people on the app. Without the selection process, you can start building connections with people you wouldn’t normally swipe right on, allowing you to be surprised by the unexpected. You can explore without judging or evaluating, and it gives you a chance to relax, knowing you’re not being judged or assessed either.

No expectations 
Now that finding "the one" is off the table, there are quite a lot of options opening up before you. Talking and exploring in a relaxed setting is conducive to making connections you didn’t even know you needed. Going with the flow and letting the conversation shape your expectations, rather than the other way around, may be surprising, in a good way. Here at Yubo, we believe in online spaces that give us the possibility to play without the constant fear of being judged, allowing people to meet in a context where expectations are lower, but the potential for meaningful connection is higher. Social discovery apps let you hang out without the pressure of the never-ending series of first dates.

Here at Yubo, we prize one thing above all else – friendship. Maybe it’s time we all started connecting without the pressure to find “the one.” Maybe they’re not the one, but they could just be the best thing that happened to your weekend. Friendship apps encourage connections that bring joy, depth, and authenticity without the pressure of romance. And in a world that’s become so obsessed with finding “someone,” maybe the real victory lies in finding people who simply make life richer and more exciting.

Let Go of Your Expectations to Find Unexpected Connections on Yubo

Modern economies rely on technology to drive innovation and shape the future. With the tech industry always at the forefront of critical problem-solving, it is surprising that the lack of women in tech remains an issue. According to the Women in Tech Survey 2023, women make up only 26% of people who work in IT. The gender balance in the industry has certainly seen some improvement since 2019, when women made up only 19% of tech employees, but it is clear there is still a long way to go.

What prevents women from finding roles in tech?

There are multiple obstacles for women looking for their next role in the tech world. Some common grievances are the biases women face in male-dominated fields, a toxic “bro culture” that sometimes plagues the tech industry, the lack of inspirational role models and mentors, as well as a gender pay gap.

First of all, there are still some lingering biases when it comes to tech, such as it traditionally being a male-dominated field. It begins as early as childhood when boys are encouraged to pursue sciences and maths, while girls can be pushed into other fields, often humanities. Studies find that there are few gender differences when it comes to studying maths at school, so why is there a gender gap when it comes to studying sciences later in life? Arguably, this problem, at least partially, boils down to the need to conform – as children grow up, they become more aware of the stereotypes associated with femininity and masculinity, and learn to lean into them more.

The importance of role models and mentors in any given industry cannot be overstated. Finding a person in your field who you can look up to can inspire and assure you that your own path is possible. However, with only 26% of women working in tech fields, it can be challenging to find a female role model. It also means there is less advocacy and support for young women in tech by older female experts.

The pay gap is another obstacle for women trying to make a career in tech. Pay discrepancy is a universal problem for most industries, and the STEM field is, unfortunately, one of them. Researchers find that women in tech earn up to 28% less than their male colleagues, and only 8% of tech businesses were found not to have a gender-based pay discrepancy at all. Moreover, there can be limits to a woman’s career progression in tech, fuelled by gender stereotypes and biases.

So, why do we believe that lack of women in the tech industry is a problem? Similarly to underrepresentation in other fields, employing a uniform workforce can lead to some complex issues. Innovation thrives in environments where varied experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints are shared and discussed. In other words, a lack of diversity often impedes innovation. Diverse teams are also better suited to creating products that are more inclusive of a broader audience.

Additionally, with AI taking the world by storm, it’s already been noticed that a lack of diversity among developers is leading to the creation of biased algorithms that are failing when it comes to recognising non-white or non-male faces. Unsurprisingly, only 22% in the employees of AI-related fields are women, highlighting the need for more diversity in tech.

At Yubo, we’re dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech. Right now, 33% of our team are women, with 53% of those in leadership roles, including our Head of Finance, Head of Legal, Head of People and Head of Safety. But we know there’s always room to grow - and that’s why we were happy to host the OutGeekWomen in Tech event at our headquarters in Paris!

Partnering with OutGeekWomen in Tech, we hosted a dynamic evening of networking for women in dev, product, data, and UI/UX on October 24th, 2024! Our aim was to create an innovative, inclusive, and empowering space led by talented women from across Paris. With over 70 women in attendance, it was a night filled with dynamic conversations, knowledge-sharing, and career insights. We were thrilled to showcase Yubo – our work, our team, and our office – and having a few leading tech companies join us made it even better!

At the event, Margaux Liquard, our Head of Safety, represented Yubo and opened the event with an inspiring keynote. She shared her journey, touching on the personal challenges of balancing motherhood with career growth and reflecting on her professional development at Yubo, where she and her team are building a safe, global platform for our community. Margaux also spoke about the support structures that make workplaces more welcoming for women, such as flexible and remote work options that enable a fulfilling work-life balance – even in fast-paced fields like tech. Her talk was a powerful reminder of the steps a company can take to support women in tech.

Yubo Event - Outgeek: Women in Tech

With this event under our belt, we’re even more excited about future opportunities to actively promote equality and support women in tech – at Yubo and beyond. Events like these are about more than networking – they’re a chance to uplift each other, build connections, and push for meaningful change in the industry. As Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, said, “Tech is for anyone who wants to shape the future.” If shaping the future speaks to you, Yubo invites you to join us in making tech more inclusive and amplifying female voices across the field. Together, let’s create a more diverse and empowering industry for everyone.

In the meantime, feel free to check out our blog posts on supporting women-led businesses and how Yubo contributes to raising awareness about breast cancer.

Hosting A Women in Tech Event at Yubo: A Collaboration With OutGeekWomen

Introducing SafeBlur: A Safety Tool That Lets You Do You!

Safety? Check! Empowering users? Check! SafeBlur is about both Internet safety and user choice, and those values are at the forefront of our work here at Yubo. We’ve all heard of the importance of online safety, but the concept of user agency is gaining more and more traction today. Allowing freedom without encouraging misuse helps users to feel in control of their online environment, so this should not be overlooked when creating safety tools. Navigating the balance between user safety and user choice can sometimes be complex, but here at Yubo we’re dedicated to innovation that does just that. This is why we have been working on a new safety feature called SafeBlur. The goal of this feature is to mitigate potential triggers and discomfort you could encounter when chatting, while giving you an option to see as much — or as little — as you'd like. It is also designed to prevent instances of sexual harassment – an issue Yubo takes very seriously.

Of course, blocking and muting have long been staple safety measures across the social media world, but we felt that a new approach was necessary to proactively prevent our users from seeing inappropriate content. We developed SafeBlur in 2024 in response to in-depth polling conducted on Yubo that highlighted the need for a direct message (DM) content moderation tool. This request was common across different age and gender user groups, and articulated an opportunity to make one-on-one conversations safer.

Sacha Lazimi, Yubo co-founder and CEO commented on the project: “SafeBlur was created in response to insights we gathered through rigorous data analysis and user feedback, reflecting our proactive approach to solving key challenges in trust and safety for social platforms. We’re proud to offer a solution that protects users and maintains the privacy they expect.”

This feature is our latest contribution to a better, safer Internet. Previously, we gave our users the option to exclude specific words through our Muted Words feature. SafeBlur builds on this, making avoiding toxicity online even easier. You don’t have to spend your time choosing words you would like to avoid – SafeBlur does it for you by blurring inappropriate or offensive messages without you having to do any the work.

Yubo Safety - SafeBlur feature

SafeBlur is designed to keep your online interactions safe and upset-free. It scans your direct messages – which are higher-risk content compared to livestreams or live chat – and blurs out any inappropriate or offensive messages. This way you can feel protected when chatting one-on-one, and the private messages you receive are subjected to the same scrutiny as all other kinds of online content. However, to give you a bigger say in the kind of content you see, you will be able to turn the feature off as well as decide to unblur any messages you’re interested in reading even when SafeBlur is on. SafeBlur will also prompt you to report any inappropriate messages, which helps promote safety and accountability.

SafeBlur is an AI-powered tool, allowing us to scan a large volume of text messages daily. The offending content can be escalated to our human moderation team, but the bulk of it will be screened out by AI, making sure you can successfully avoid any inappropriate or toxic messages. SafeBlur works in many languages, helping protect our users in the 140 countries where Yubo is active.

Using SafeBlur is really simple – whenever you receive a questionable direct message for the first time, we will blur it and send you a pop-up alert, asking if you want to keep the feature enabled. If opted out, SafeBlur will be turned off and won’t affect your experience on the app in any way, unless you decide to turn it back on again. With SafeBlur enabled, you will still be able to see the blurred text if you tap on it, and you will also get the chance to report it immediately to our human moderation team if you’d like. What if you decided against enabling SafeBlur, but changed your mind after a while? This can be easily fixed. Simply go to your profile and tap on Settings, then Safety and Privacy, and finally, toggle on SafeBlur. Alternatively, if you have enabled it initially, but want it disabled later, you can always do so by following the same steps.

We’re planning to use the feedback we receive to fine tune SafeBlur to ensure user satisfaction. Dedicated to user safety, Yubo will be taking further steps to remain a vocal innovator in the field of online safety technology.

Lastly, if you were ever harassed online, check this helpful guide on dealing with harassment and bullying. It’s in our power to make the Internet a better place, and here at Yubo, we will continue to advocate for user safety and empowerment through technology.

So whether you choose to protect yourself as much as possible or to keep those convos unfiltered, we’re here to give you the experience you choose! You can check out the SafeBlur feature now by going on Yubo and enabling it in the Settings. Have fun!

When asked about their favourite holiday, a sizable part of the population would pick Halloween. What’s not to love? Trick or treating and dressing up never gets old even as we get older, and our team here at Yubo always looks forward to a good old Halloween party. This year, we made five short lists of our favourite Halloween things! So if you are short on recommendations, be it a scary film, a spooky song, or a festive game or activity, we've got some interesting suggestions for you!

The horror genre has amassed an insatiable fan-base since its nascent days in the 60's when it was a marginal form an entertainment. Today horror films are everywhere, with one or two movies showing in most cinemas on any given night.

Coltan Scrivner, a fear researcher, claims that people drawn to horror often fit into one of three groups: those who enjoy the thrill, those who like to test their limits, and those who use horror as a gateway to work through some deep-seated emotions. For all of these groups, however, the horror genre offers a safe, controlled environment for experimentation. Horror also anticipates resolution and release for the tension built throughout the viewing experience: no matter what happens to the protagonist, you – the viewer – will be out of your seat and on your merry way back home, safe and mostly unharmed.

Aside from personal fears, the horror genre is also a mirror that reflects our collective fears as a society. Many directors employ horror elements to comment on issues of racism, sexism, poverty and oppression.

Our favourite suspenseful classic: The Shining by Stanley Kubrick 
Every list must include a classic for those who love to revisit movies over and over again. The Shining is one such movie, beloved by first-time watchers and veterans alike. Based on Stephen King’s novel and directed by Stanley Kubrick, this movie is known for its tense and sinister atmosphere. It will make a perfect watch for those who aren’t impressed by the horror genre’s staple of jump scares, and who instead enjoy a good psychological horror, delving into themes of insanity and dehumanisation. Jack Nicholson’s eerie embodiment of a writer, recovering from his alcohol addiction, has been haunting viewers since the day this movie came out. His performance also played a large role in the film’s acclaim and status as a classic.

Our favourite satire horror: Scream by Wes Craven 
Mainly known as a slasher movie – which it undeniably is – Scream was also one of the first scary movies to reflect upon horror tropes ironically, and insert these reflections back into its plot. Openly laughing at the staple rules of horror film-making – such as to never drink or say “I’ll be back” when leaving a room – the film does a great job of bending those rules, but also, sometimes, unexpectedly adheres to them in new, self-aware ways. Scream has been a fan favourite since the first movie came out in 1996, with its star cast of David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, and it will undeniably remain a Halloween staple for years to come. The newest instalment of the franchise was released in 2023, and Scream 7 is planned for 2026.

Our favourite psychological horror: Get Out by Jordan Peele 
Horror is often used as a gateway to explore the ugly side of society, focusing on the psychological and emotional states of its protagonists and antagonists. Jordan Peele is a master of social commentary in the psychological horror genre. He brilliantly explores race, privilege and identity through classic tropes of the horror genre. In this movie, a young black man visits his white girlfriend’s parents for the weekend, which gradually becomes ever more eerie and uneasy as it progresses. Surprisingly, Get Out is also incredibly funny, taking the viewers on a rollercoaster ride of laughter, tears and genuine terror. The final scenes won’t leave you unmoved, so if you enjoy plot twists and rising tension, this might be a movie for you to watch this Halloween.

Our favourite folk horror: Midsommar by Ari Aster 
Folk horror is a popular horror genre, exploring cultural fears or beliefs. Films of this genre often choose isolated rural communities and pagan rituals as their setting. Ari Aster made a brave aesthetic decision to make Midsommar an incredibly vibrant horror film. For the most part, the scenes are bright and well-lit, with the lush greenery of rural summer-time Sweden. Somehow, the abundance of light creates as strong a sense of tension as complete darkness does! The plot is quite simple: a group of friends travels to Sweden to participate in a Scandinavian summer festival. However, as they are invited to participate in festivities, a dark and sinister side begins to emerge. Grief and death are a recurring motif, exploring the ways in which people respond and cope with those feelings. It’s a deep exploration of emotional trauma, making horrifying Scandinavian summer festivities relatable to everyday life.

Our favourite body horror: Raw by Julia Ducournau 
It might seem pretty odd to combine a coming-of-age story of self-discovery with body horror, but this is precisely what Julia Ducournau did in her 2016 movie,  Raw. Exploring the animalistic side of humans and our suppressed desires, the film follows Justine, a young vegetarian girl attending veterinary school who discovers her troubling taste for raw meat. Deeply unsettling imagery employed by Ducournau is contrasted by a clean, almost clinical shooting style and aesthetic scenes and colours. This film will be of interest to people grappling with ideas of self-transformation and reckoning with the darker parts of our society and selves.

Music, just like film, can help us regulate our moods and provide the means to escape reality for a little while. It is also linked to the feeling of nostalgia – that’s why listening to a song related to a significant life event can feel like travelling back in time. So, if you want to feel like a kid on your first-ever Halloween, consider setting the mood by playing some classic Halloween tunes!

The Addams Family Theme by Vic Mizzy
This instantly recognisable tune won’t fail to get you to feel “creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky”. It’s instantly recognisable and easy to sing along!

Thriller by Michael Jackson
This one is for those people who feel the need to bust a move as soon as a high-energy song comes on! Pop on the music video and dance along to Michael Jackson’s classic choreography.

Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
This is yet another song which is impossible not to dance to! Upbeat, fun and catchy, it’ll have you jumping up and down, screaming “Ghostbusters!” in no time.

Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Featured in a relatively marginal Halloween film with a large cult following, Time Warp won’t leave you indifferent! Learn the lyrics, master the moves, and soon you’ll be itching to do the Time Warp again.

This Is Halloween by The Citizens of Halloween
Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to hear something strange?.. If you don’t know and love this song yet, you’re seriously missing out. And if you feel like rewatching The Nightmare Before Christmas immediately… Well, it’s not our fault! 

While watching horror movies and listening to spooky music are some great ways to get yourself in the mood, video games offer another, immersive option for doing so. Below, we compiled a list of great scary games to play alone or with friends!

Resident Evil by Capcom 
No horror video game list could ever exist without this fan favourite. Resident Evil – the highest-grossing multi-game horror franchise – is almost synonymous with scary games in the gaming world. Designed in the genre of survival horror, it drops the player in hostile worlds inhabited by zombies, bioengineered creatures and other villains. Gameplay-wise, starting with Resident Evil 4, the game employs third-person shooting, while the later games bring back the first-person perspective. Filled with twisted storylines and gripping tense moments, Resident Evil is the perfect Halloween game to play together with friends or alone, for extra spookiness.

Until Dawn by Supermassive Games
If you’re a fan of video games that tell great stories, Until Dawn might be the game for you. Interactive at its core, this game lets you play out your own Halloween slasher movie, full of tension-filled moments and jump scares. Great for playing collectively, Until Dawn allows for the “pass-the-controller” play style, where each player can control one or more characters, ensuring they stay alive. You can even start a little competition with your friends to see who’s the best at yanking their controlled character out of harm’s way. Mechanically, though, the game is pretty simple – it consists of exploration, dialogue and some quick-time events. So, if this sounds like your cup of tea, get some friends and spend Halloween night exploring the mysteries of Until Dawn.

Dead by Daylight by Behaviour Interactive
Of course, we couldn’t forgo a multiplayer game! Dead by Daylight is an online survival horror game for five players, where one takes on the role of a Killer, tasked with murdering the Survivors to appease the Entity. The Survivors have to work together to repair the generators powering the exit gates and escape the Killer. Playing this game during the Halloween season makes for great fun as you can take on roles of the Survivors or the Killer one by one. This high-stakes and high-tension game can make a great addition to the Halloween plans you’ve already devised with your friends.

Alan Wake by Remedy Entertainment
Released in 2010, this action-adventure game is set in the small fictional town of Bright Falls and follows the story of Alan Wake, a novelist battling his writer’s block, who arrives in town with his wife for a short vacation. Facing mysterious forces, Alan has to fight his way out and investigate mysterious shadows that are possessing the townsfolk. Taking inspiration from the early 1990s cult TV show Twin Peaks, Alan Wake is a great choice for all psychological horror fans out there. It is known for its great pacing and tension-building as well as combat mechanics that keep the player attentive and alert.

Oxenfree by Night School Studio
For those of you who don’t particularly like the experience of constant unrelenting tension, Oxenfree could be a great game to explore. It follows Alex, a teenage girl, who is visiting a local island with a group of friends. The beach party has to be cut short after Alex’s radio starts floating unexpectedly, creating a dimensional rift. The gameplay features the “walk-and-talk” mechanic, allowing the player to build connections with other characters as well as explore the island’s eerie forces. It famously has almost no cut scenes, allowing the player to move through the space as their played character communicates with other characters. If not for the gameplay, we recommend you play Oxenfree for its wonderful watercolour art style, combining a dark spooky palette with cute scenery and animations.

Finally, if you’re craving some interesting activities to get up to for Halloween, here’s a list of things you can try to make your day extra spooky!

Bake some scary goodies 
If you’re one of those people who doesn’t really enjoy being scared, but still appreciates the spirit of the holiday, some festive baking could be for you! Make some monster-shaped cookies or use food colouring creatively to achieve the look and texture of blood or mould. Yum!

Carve some pumpkins 
Pumpkin carving is an oldie, but goodie! Get a pumpkin and get as creative as you like. Don’t forget to stock up on candles to light your pumpkin up from the inside when the design is ready, and make sure to keep your safety in mind when working with sharp tools.

Visit a haunted house or attend a ghost tour 
Look up some haunted houses in your area to visit with some friends, or better yet, get some spider webs, flickering lights, and devious traps and set one up yourself to entertain your friends and neighbours!

Participate in a séance 
This one is not for the faint of heart! Bust out that Ouija board, talk with the mirror in a dark bathroom, or just hold hands with your friends in a circle of candles. Be careful, though – you never know who or what might be lurking in the darkness.

Tell spooky stories 
Finally, if you’d like something simple, but effective, you can always gather around with your IRL or Yubo friends and tell some scary stories. Take turns adding to the plot, or participate in a dramatic retelling of a scary film or book you’ve previously seen. Dim the lights and create a tense atmosphere by using an old flickering flashlight or some candles for extra fun. What's more – you can do this live, right on Yubo!

If you’re craving some more ideas for the exciting shenanigans you can get up to this Halloween, check out our last year’s Halloween horoscope for more activities. Every star sign gets a special thing you can enjoy on the spookiest evening of the year without ever having to leave Yubo!

So, having armed you with tips and recommendations, we wish you an awesome Halloween this year. Enjoy some spooky time with your IRL friends, or – alternatively – jump on Yubo, add some relevant Halloween tags to your profile, and make new connections to celebrate with!

No Tricks, All Treats: Yubo’s Recipe for a Perfect Halloween

Openness, safety and privacy are of incredible importance today when it comes to social discovery apps. These values are the backbone of user trust, something we always strive towards here at Yubo. Our bi-annual Transparency Report is an essential expression of these values that allow us to build new features and additions to the app with user safety in mind. Covering periods from January to June and from July to December, they provide an overview of all the achievements of our safety strategy and the safeguards we employ during respective periods. Our Transparency Report is available on our website to all: our users, journalists and any safety authorities and overseers. Published since 2021, they have been a trusted resource for anyone interested in how Yubo handles the safety of our users.

Our Transparency Report is usually divided into three sections: Behind the scenes, Safety on Yubo and Key Metrics. While the first section is largely introductory, offering some information about the app, our values and covering any new developments, the other two offer more detailed insight into policies and metrics.

This section begins with an outline of the safety strategy we are following. Yubo is a strong advocate of the “Safety by Design” approach: rather than mitigating unwanted behaviours, we aspire to build the app in a way that prevents violations before any harm is caused. As a part of this approach, we rely heavily on innovative content moderation technology and develop algorithms detecting suspicious or inappropriate behaviours. Alongside these measures, we also educate our users through safety alerts and refer them to our Community Guidelines when appropriate.

Outlining the teams responsible for specific safety processes and tools, we move onto Yubo’s safety measures, among which there are detection technologies, human moderation, identity and age assurance, age gates, and more. Having established a lot of partnerships with NGOs, charities and other safety organisations, we always dedicate a page of the report to our Safety Board and our other safety-related partnerships. We also explain our reporting process in detail, outlining how and when we report illegal content to the police or other relevant law enforcement authorities.

Overall, this section is mainly dedicated to all the ways the Yubo team upholds user safety and privacy in a responsible and open manner. If you would like to know more about our safety tools and processes, make sure to read pages 14 to 31 of our latest report.

This section of the report focuses more on numbers than processes. Here we report on how much content was removed from the platform, what kind of reports were made, and how many accounts were suspended and reinstated during the respective period. One significant chapter of this section that was introduced in the first half of 2023 is our report on the measures taken to fight hate, extremism and terrorism on our platform. Furthermore, in the second half of 2023, we have also added a section outlining the processes and metrics associated with ensuring safety of minors on our app. Lastly, a few final pages of the section are dedicated to permanent bans, user appeals and the live moderation technology we use to ensure our users’ safety whilst streaming live.

Our latest published Transparency Report covers the period from January to June 2024. It was published in September 2024 and is available here.

The biggest highlight of this period was tackling the rise of financial sexual extortion, otherwise known as sextortion, online. We worked on enhancing our detection systems to prevent users from sharing sensitive data. We were also sending out security alerts when our users were switching platforms or exchanging socials. Other than preventative measures, we focused on supporting sextortion victims by bettering our reporting systems and advising our users on how to seek assistance on Yubo and elsewhere.

Another goal for this period was to strengthen our “Platform Integrity” policy that is designed to protect our users from malicious online activity such as fraud or other ways of compromising user privacy.

We also revised criteria for substantial threats, making important changes to how we classify cases that involve imminent danger to our users and escalating them more effectively. Lastly, we enhanced the transparency of the reporting process by letting them know if the action was taken following a report they made to us.

Some important changes from our latest Report will be outlined as compared to our 2023’s report below.

As a result of our proactive detection strategy and “Safety by design” approach, our proactive detection reports went up from 85% to 92.5%. We also sent out more alerts compared to the previous six months after we strengthened the way we flag identity misrepresentation.

Over the last six months, we have learnt to better moderate some types of content proactively – for instance, moderated textual content on Yubo went up from 4% to 41.2%, highlighting our increased ability to work with this type of content.

There were no changes to the Child Safety chapter of the Metrics section in this report – Yubo will be reporting the statistics for 2024 in our end of the year report, coming in the beginning of 2025.

Here at Yubo, we take the safety and privacy of our users seriously. We will always uphold the highest standards when it comes to proactively detecting any instances of harm, and we want to thank our users for playing a big role in making the Internet safer through reporting any suspicious activity on the app. Make sure to check out our latest report and stay tuned for the next one. In the meantime, check out this article about staying safe online, and enjoy connecting and forging friendships on Yubo!

Advocating for openness, safety and privacy: Yubo’s Transparency Report

In a world dominated by algorithms and paid promotions, social discovery apps offer a getaway to finding something truly authentic. Research suggests that the race for increased engagement through algorithms trumps the real evolutionary goal of gaining knowledge: cooperation and problem-solving. This is precisely the shortcoming that social discovery apps can address, in contrast to traditional social media. Yubo, a proud advocate of the “friends, not followers” motto, allows you to connect with a variety of real people, rather than bumping up the most “engaging” polarizing messages or ideas. At Yubo, we believe that real people with real-life experiences are an unbeatable source of learning and inspiration, and we constantly improve our platform to help you connect.

So sit back, relax, and let us tell you how you can chill on Yubo and get inspired at the same time: be it an idea for your next trip, a cool hobby you were interested in, or just a new album to listen to. Dropping unrealistic expectations, embracing surprises and serendipities as well as following others' examples are the three aspects of social discovery apps that can motivate you without unnecessary pressure.

Feeling tired of those picture-perfect summer vacation pics flooding social media yet? Don’t worry – we’ve all been there. With the steady encroachment of the online world into our offline lives, it’s so easy to stress over taking that stunning shot instead of simply enjoying a new city or country. Equally common is having to deal with a jarring mismatch between expectations – fuelled by astonishing imagery online – and the reality that no place is truly flawless. It is easy to give up on the whole travel thing under the pressure to get it just right, but here's the thing: it doesn't have to be this way.

Here’s our advice: take a break from the traditional social media dedicated to curating perfect images and telling exaggerated stories. Instead, turn to social discovery apps, like Yubo, to get inspired, share ideas, and maybe even plan your next big trip with some help from users across the globe. Having real people to discuss your experiences with can be that breath of fresh air we all need. On Yubo, perfect does not matter. What matters is easily connecting with a ton of different people. Start a travel-themed livestream, get instant opinions on where you should visit next through our Spotlight feature, or chat with someone you are connected with. Relax and enjoy those imperfect experiences. However, if switching from social media to social discovery still leaves you with a degree of FOMO, check out our blog post on how to avoid this feeling.

While the algorithm may know your tastes and preferences quite well, getting advice from real people can help you escape the mechanical sameness of countless “Where to go when in Rome” and “The best 100 movies of all times” articles. The safety of your own algorithmic bubble may offer some comforts, but it ultimately takes away an opportunity to really explore and creates serious limitations. To find alternative and authentic ideas, all it takes is finding the right people.

At the core of Yubo lies the individuality of our users. Our mission is to connect you with people from all walks of life, introducing unexpected perspectives and ideas into your social sphere. By tapping into this diverse community of people, you can expand your horizons and break free from algorithm-driven knowledge. It is so much more than just consuming information – engaging with real people can make you a part of an ongoing conversation, help you discover nuance, and be surprised again.

We all love a great success story. However, it is sometimes hard to distinguish a polished picture from what is real. Popular internet accounts and major media outlets are sometimes prone to exaggerating, claiming feats like mastering a dancing style in a month or going on a low-budget trip for just $100. Real conversations, however, offer a more authentic perspective. The incentive to overstate is less prominent – though never fully absent – and comes down to personal circumstance rather than click-bait considerations of finance and prestige. Authentic journeys have the power to motivate us in a way no sugar-coated article can. Forging these connections can help ground your aspirations and, through the power of example, inspire you to take up a new project, change careers, or become healthier. After all, if they can do it, why can’t you? Social discovery apps can highlight real-life examples and be a source of motivation that is real, unpolished, and attainable.

It is simple to get stuck in a vicious circle of repetitive information that’s meant to increase the platform’s engagement, not your satisfaction and knowledge. And we know just the way to break this cycle. Find unexpected friendships on Yubo, start a livestream talking about the complexities of dog ownership, and connect with people who are obsessed with bands you have never heard of! Rediscover the joy of listening to authentic stories and allow yourself to be inspired. The world is your oyster – it’s time to discover.

Get Inspired: Discovering Your Next Obsession on Yubo

Have you ever wanted to turn your online friends into in-person friends? Online friends are awesome, but with the whole world at your fingertips, it’s sometimes nice to scale back and keep it local. That’s why our team at Yubo has introduced a new feature: Near You. You might have noticed the new “Near you” tab inside the app – it’s your getaway to transforming online friendships into offline ones! It’s available as a part of our new Infinity Pack, granting you access to “Near you” as well as other cool functions inside the app – more on that later. We’ve also added a new section to the Friends tab, showing friend requests from nearby users separately from the rest. This section is free to use, no subscription is required.

Here at Yubo, we’ve already heard the first success stories from users exploring “Near you”. Finding new friends whilst traveling is becoming a popular way to use the feature, ensuring you have company for your evenings even on solo trips. It’s also great for embracing spontaneity – ask a local to join you for that open mic comedy night you've been wanting to see whenever all your other friends are busy!

If you've never tried to before, meeting online friends in real life can be a little daunting. Most people who have some experience with transitioning their digital friendships into IRL ones have some interesting reasons to do so. For example, it gives them a chance to get to know the person before hanging out one-on-one. Also, breaking the digital barrier and getting to know their new friend's real self alongside their online self can strengthen the bond they develop! If you're still unsure about meeting online friends IRL, think about these reasons to try out an online-to-offline relationship.

Discover cool new spots and local events. Meeting people who live locally can be a great source of personalized recommendations! It's challenging to keep up with new local venues, exhibitions, and more, so it could be awesome to enlist some help. Let locals show you the hidden gems they’ve discovered in the area. Meet up to enjoy some entertainment, try that book club you’ve heard so much about, or see the latest movie at the cinema.


Feel safe and confident. If you happen to be a little awkward around new people, meeting new friends online first can help you to get to know them better before meeting up IRL. Breaking the ice can be a little easier online, and when you're ready for your one-on-one, they'll no longer be a stranger. You can discuss expectations, set boundaries, and assess if you’re feeling comfortable enough to meet in person. This approach can help with any feelings of nervousness or anxiety, and will help you find common interests and determine if you vibe before meeting face-to-face.


Friends next door. Going away for college, moving to a new neighbourhood, or experimenting with living in a different city or country can make it hard to see your old friends in real life. Whilst it’s great to keep in touch even if you cannot see each other very often, sometimes you need some new local connections to hang out, chat, grab a coffee, or see a film. Considering how fast-paced modern life is, the usefulness of having some friends no more than thirty minutes away from you truly cannot be overstated.

The Internet is brimming with stories when it comes to meeting your online friends IRL! If you still feel like you need some inspiration or a little nudge, check out this great piece exploring how it feels to connect with your internet friends offline.

Meeting new people you’ve connected with online can be cool and exciting! However, it is crucial to be aware of potential risks and make your safety a priority. You deserve to feel at ease when meeting someone new. Consider the following checklist to ensure a safe and comfortable experience when you’re meeting someone new face-to-face for the first time.

Jump in a live or try voice messaging first. While texting might be your go-to communication method, it’s useful to set up a video call or exchange voice notes with a person you’re planning to meet IRL. This helps you to get a better sense of their personality and make sure they look and sound right.


Choose a public place. Meet your new friend somewhere public, like a café, museum, or a busy well-lit park. Always remember to make separate travel arrangements.


Tell someone about your plans. Inform a trusted person about where you’ll be meeting your new friend. You can also share your location with a friend or family member, so that they can check on you. Keep your phone charged and bring a charger or a power bank, just in case.


Set boundaries. Be vocal about your expectations and boundaries, whether it’s about your physical space or conversation topics.


Avoid alcohol. Stay sober when meeting someone new, as alcohol can make you vulnerable and impair your judgement.


Trust your gut feeling. If something feels off about the person you’re meeting, trust your judgement. Don’t hesitate to leave or ask for help. Always verify that the person you’re meeting matches their online photos.

When you’ve got your safety figured out, you can check out this article with some more lighthearted tips on how to prepare for meeting your online friend, such as predicting their height or learning how to pronounce their name correctly beforehand!

Now that you know whether meeting your online friends offline is for you and you’re equipped with some basic safety tools, it’s time to reach out and explore. You can access the “Near you” feature by subscribing to the Infinity Pack. This pack doesn’t just give you access to “Near you” – it also lets you see who viewed your profile and who swiped right on you. You’ll get one free Boost, Turbo, and Spotlight power every week, as well as Reverse Swipes that allow you to go back when you accidentally swipe left. With unlimited swipes included in the pack, you can go through as many profiles as you like. Plus, no ads! The Infinity Pack was designed by Yubo to offer you the most value and fast-track your friend-making journey, ensuring you connect instantly and without limits. To find out more about various powers you can purchase on Yubo, check out the guide written by our team!

Online or offline, we’re excited about the connections you will make on Yubo. So decide if this is for you, remember to stay safe and get ready to meet some people near you!

Yubo's Take

Here for all of it.