Disclaimer

This tool and guide are for informational and educational purposes only. We are demonstrating how perceptual hashes and device tracking work. We do not endorse or condone the violation of any platform's Terms of Service. You are solely responsible for your actions, and using this information to circumvent a platform's rules may result in a permanent ban. Use at your own risk.

Guide to resets and unbans on Dating apps

Privacy-first image processing • All operations happen locally in your browser

Dating apps store 64 bit hashes of images that are used on the apps. This uses a complicated algorithm of changes to modify the difference hash without ruining the image.

They are allowed to keep an "anonymized" hash of every picture even after a complete data wipe. Thus, you need new pictures or to use this tool.

Image Hash Modifier Tool

Original

Original image

Sanitised

Modified image
Pick an image…

How does this tool work?

This tool uses advanced image processing techniques to modify your photo in subtle ways that change its perceptual hash while maintaining natural appearance:

Δ (Delta) Values:

*Note: Results may vary slightly depending on the original image characteristics and content.

Privacy Bonus: All EXIF metadata (including GPS location, camera info, timestamps, etc.) is completely stripped from the processed image for maximum privacy protection.

I asked Gemini to fact check:

Yes. This is a well-known and confirmed practice.

Standard Implementation

Perceptual hashes (like dHash and pHash) are the primary, first-line-of-defense for services like Tinder, Hinge (both owned by Match Group), and OkCupid to automatically detect and block previously-banned content.

Implementation Purpose

They use it specifically to catch users who try to get around a ban by creating a new account with the same photos. If they only checked for exact file matches (a cryptographic hash), you could bypass the ban by simply:

  • Changing the filename
  • Cropping the image by one pixel
  • Slightly changing the brightness
  • Taking a screenshot of the photo

Technical Operation

A perceptual hash defeats all those simple tricks. When you're banned, they store the pHash/dHash of your photos. When any new user uploads a photo, the app generates a hash and compares it against its "banned" database. If it finds a match (or a very close match), the new account is automatically flagged or banned.

The list of changes shows the creator understands how these hashes work:

Targeted bit-flipping at 8x8 resolution for dHash modification

This is the most telling detail. The dHash (difference hash) algorithm specifically works by comparing the brightness of adjacent pixels in a small, 8x8 version of the image. This method claims to target those exact comparisons to "flip" the bits in the resulting hash.

Luminance manipulation and contrast enhancement

Both dHash and pHash are highly sensitive to changes in relative luminance and contrast. By subtly manipulating these, the tool can drastically change the resulting hash.

Spatial clustering and feathered transitions

These terms describe how the tool hides these changes from the human eye. It's making the modifications look like natural lighting or lens effects rather than a blocky, digital mess.

In summary, the tool appears to be a well-informed adversarial attack against perceptual hashing algorithms. It makes the minimal number of targeted, subtle visual changes required to break the hash, while preserving the photo's quality.

More than enough. A distance of 20-32 isn't just "enough," it's massive overkill.

Understanding Hamming Distance

Hamming Distance = The number of bits that are different between two hashes.

  • Distance of 0 = The images are identical
  • Distance of 1-5 = The images are almost identical (e.g., a screenshot, slightly brighter). This is what apps look for to flag duplicates
  • Distance of 10 = The images are still visibly similar, but noticeably different
  • Distance of 20-32+ = On a 64-bit hash, this means 30% to 50% of the entire "fingerprint" is different. The system would conclude the images are completely unrelated, like a photo of you versus a photo of a car

This tool's goal is to make changes that result in a new hash with a high Hamming distance (20-32+), which would make the app's system see it as a completely new and unrelated photograph.

How to do a hard reset for Tinder

Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge sometimes require a complete restart. Dating apps are frustrating. Whether you have "profile issues", suspect you're getting zero likes (despite previous success), or feel your profile's performance has plummeted beyond recovery, this guide will help you wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

If you're just looking to refresh your profile without serious issues, a simple soft reset might work. But for more serious problems, follow this comprehensive guide.

Step 1: Delete Your Existing Account

First, you need to properly remove your old profile:

Note: Sometimes you might not be able to delete your account normally. In this case, proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Request Complete Data Deletion

Simply deactivating your account doesn't actually remove your data from the company's servers.

Step 3: Clear All App Data

This step helps remove local traces of the app:

Step 4: Using a New Phone

Dating apps are increasingly sophisticated at tracking users across re installs:

Too hard? You can make a new account in the browser but this increases your risk score and will result in you getting banned easier.

IMPORTANT: Never log into your new account from a device that was used with your old, deleted profile.

Step 5: Get a New Phone Number & Email

This is perhaps the most crucial step of the reset process:

New Phone Number Options:

New Email:

For extra security, use your new phone number for initial verification, then switch to email verification for future logins.

Step 6: Your Photos

Dating apps use image recognition to detect reused photos:

Step 7: Use a Different Network

Your IP address can be used to track you:

Step 8: Create Your New Account

Now you're ready to start fresh:

Step 9: Use Your New Account Wisely

To avoid future profile issues:

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Bonus: the travel method

When you travel out of the country it's a great opportunity to create a new account.

For Canadian users

Since your data laws allow them to keep a face id of you indefinitely you need to use the travel method. Sorry, there's no other way.

Final Notes

The more steps you follow, the lower your risk score will be. While some users might get lucky skipping steps, creating a completely new digital fingerprint gives you the best chance of success.

Read more about how dating apps use your data here: Mozilla Foundation Privacy Not Included

If you believe you're having account issues unfairly and a hard reset fails, you can:

This guide works for most major dating apps including Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge.