How it started
Genuine Singles launched in 2006, in the era before smartphones and swiping — when online dating meant sitting down at a computer and writing to someone properly. The founding problem is one you'll recognise: too many dating sites were full of fake profiles, and honest people were paying the price. Our answer was simple and expensive: have a real person review every profile before it's published. We've never stopped.
What we believe
- Verification isn't optional. Every profile and photo is manually checked before members can see it. It's slower than an algorithm and infinitely better.
- Intentions should be stated. This is a site for people seeking real relationships, and profiles here say so plainly. Clarity is kindness.
- Local matters. A perfect match 400 miles away isn't a match. Our search is built around meeting people you can actually meet.
- Grown-ups deserve a grown-up site. Most of our members are 35-plus. The design, tone and community reflect it.
Where we are today
Genuine Singles now serves members in six countries — the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The company has changed hands of technology many times in twenty years; the manual verification desk has outlived every redesign, because it's the reason members trust us.
A note on our name
"Genuine" is easy to claim and hard to run. It means real people checking real profiles, removing scammers before you meet them, and building a site around commitment rather than engagement metrics. If that sounds like the kind of place you'd like to meet someone — welcome.