Badoo - Best Dating App for Adult Hookup or Friends With Benefits

Badoo is becoming popular across the UK as a dating site as well as a dating app, having more than 350 million people using the application for dating. It focuses on geolocation to find partners located in your vicinity, so that you can find nearby people in your local town or city for hookups, one-night stands and more.

Badoo is available in more than 180 countries, including the UK. There are around 400,000 unique signups in a day with 60 million active users on a monthly basis, making it one of the most active networks for British singles in 2026.

Setting Up

You can set up your account on the Badoo dating app using Facebook or the app homepage. Download the app using the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The signup procedure is very simple.

Next you need to provide details about your name, age, gender, email and, most importantly, location and create your profile. You must also mention the purpose of your being there, whether it’s for friends, chatting, or dating, and whether you are interested in guys, girls, or both. The app makes use of the information to create matches tailored to your preferences.

You can import your friends from your email or from Facebook. You can also upload new pictures from social networking platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, or directly from your device. In case you have signed up using Facebook, recent photos will be automatically integrated into your profile. You must then enable geolocation and agree to receive push notifications to stay updated on matches nearby.

How it Works

You get a one-time tutorial when you download the app. The basic premise of the Badoo dating app is that it helps you find partners who are located in your vicinity. Geolocation is the major feature of this dating platform, making it ideal for meeting people in your immediate UK area.

The core features are:

• Discovering people nearby (seen with a globe icon)
• Play for Match (shown as cards)
• Messaging center (chat bubble sign)
• Profile (a silhouette)

Using Play to Match:

The app shows you pictures of other users. You can like someone by touching the heart icon or you can touch X, meaning you don’t like the person. It’s like a "hot or not" kind of game. If you want to view additional pictures of a user, you can swipe from below.

Message Center:

You can send messages to your matches or to your friends. Tap on "All Connections" to see chats and visits as well as likes and favourites. In addition, you can also view profiles independently and add one to your Favourites. You can read their bio, see the location, verifications, photos and so on.

Top Features

• Registration and browsing features are free.
• If you want to feature your profile at the top of the navigation bar, you need to buy credits.
• You also need credits for activation of "Super Powers," whereby your messages are sent more quickly for matching.
• Instead of credits, you can also ask other members to join the app. The app also checks out your friends on social networking sites if you authorise it to.
• The app offers a social networking feature, as users can share a profile on Facebook or Instagram.
• Users can also create a private album or videos. Photos or videos can be taken within the Badoo dating app.
• If you are popular, it is displayed using a battery icon. If you have "Super Powers," your profile contains a specific premium symbol.
• Lookalike feature: The app recognises facial features and helps you find a person resembling your favourite celebrity. It is, therefore, important to take good photographs.
• The app also uses an advanced geolocating feature. It shows users the exact spot where you could have met other users of the site. This actually helps you find people in your local neighbourhood.

Pros

• Badoo has a simple and straightforward interface and is visually focused.
• Badoo offers good safety features, using email verification procedures and cookies along with a guide for newcomers to help protect UK users.
• Profiles are colourful and fun.

Cons

• Though the Badoo dating app is available in a basic free version, the app encourages users to make online purchases or make payments within the app to access more features and get a premium experience.
• You may have to spend some money to buy credits. There are also several other blocks that require payment.
• There may be some fake profiles and scammers on the app, as with many large social platforms.
• There is no algorithm for matching other than the location feature.

Paid Version

Badoo is available as a free dating platform on the desktop version. However, the mobile version of the dating app is available as both a free version and a premium option.

In the UK for 2026, Badoo Premium (formerly Super Powers) is priced at approximately £17.99 for one month. If you are looking for a shorter trial, a one-week subscription is around £4.99. For those who want to commit longer, a 3-month plan costs about £43.99 (roughly £14.66 per month), and a 6-month plan is approximately £65.99 (£11.00 per month). You can also opt for a Lifetime pass for a one-off payment of around £79.99.

Badoo Credits can be purchased separately to boost visibility, starting at roughly £1.99 for 100 credits. Payments can be made using your credit card, PayPal, or through Google Play and Apple App Store billing. The app often offers a free trial period for Premium features, allowing you to unlock your favourites folder, go anonymous, and see who liked you.

Excellent Ratings

The Badoo app holds a strong ranking of 4.3 stars in the Google Play Store, with more than 100 million downloads. In the Apple App Store, the app maintains a rating of around 4.5 stars.

Bottom Line

Badoo is a dating app that has been a staple of the scene for many years, yet it consistently keeps up with the latest trends in social networking. The success of Badoo in 2026 mainly lies in the fact that it does not prescribe the type of relationship that users should be in. The app offers UK users the tools for meeting people nearby, whether you are looking for a hookup, a flirty encounter, or a more serious connection.

For those looking to meet fresh and new people, the app is incredibly useful. It helps you connect with someone whom you might be passing on the high street every day. All you need is some excellent selfies, as it is a photo-based location-dating app. You can connect with them for a hookup, to make new friends, or to expand your local social circle.

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