In short
- Download the app, sign up with your email, and pick a username.
- You'll be asked for your location, a profile photo, and to confirm you're 18 or older.
- Your profile photo is reviewed by a human — usually within 24 hours.
- Once approved, everything opens up: Discover, Messages, Feed, and more.
Getting the app
DudesChat runs on iOS, Android, and the web — one account works everywhere. Get the iOS app on the App Store, get the Android app on Google Play, or use the web app at app.dudes.chat. Your profile carries over.
Creating your account
Sign-up takes a couple of minutes:
- Email & username — pick a username (Supporters can change it later) and confirm your email address. We'll send you a verification link.
- Date of birth — DudesChat is for adults. You must be 18 or older to join, and you'll confirm that during sign-up.
- Password — yours alone. We never ask for it by email.
The onboarding steps
After sign-up, four quick steps set up your profile:
- Location — the app asks for location access so Discover can show Dudes near you. Your exact position is never shown to anyone — see Privacy & your data.
- Photo — a clear, pants-on photo of you. You'll crop it to fit, and you confirm the photo is of yourself. Our Content Guidelines explain what flies and what doesn't.
- About you — your languages and hobbies. Optional, but it helps Dudes find common ground with you. You can skip it and fill it in later.
- Verify age — a quick verification step confirms you're 18+. See Verification for how it works.
While your profile is reviewed
Every new profile photo is checked by a human before your profile goes public — that's part of how DudesChat stays real. Review usually takes about 24 hours. While you wait, you can already polish your profile: add your socials, your sexual identity details, and your favorites.
When you're approved, the app tells you — and Discover, Messages, and the Feed open up.
One tip worth taking before you dive in: set your "I Am" and "I Am Into" tags (Menu → Edit my profile → Identity). They power the type icon (the flame) next to every Dude in Discover — without them it never lights up, for anyone. Discover & matching explains the three icons.
Something not working?
If sign-up fails, the verification email doesn't arrive (check spam first), or you're stuck on a step — contact us or email support@mail.dudes.chat and we'll sort it out.
Last revised: 2026‑09‑28