be2 is one of many online dating sites with members worldwide—they claim to have over a million, and reports say there are around 350,000 members in the UK alone. However, their reputation has varied over the years, so we looked to see what the site is like now. Will you find any suitable matches and love on there, or is signing up pointless?
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The personality test
When signing up for the be2 dating site, you must answer some questions. They claim it’s a personality test that focuses not just on your personality but also on what you’re looking for in a partner and a relationship. Once you start browsing your matches, you’ll find a compatibility score on the right-hand side. The score is based on how you both answered the personality test.
You cannot sign up for an account without first answering the questions, but they take no more than five minutes of your time. It's not a detailed personality test, but it is suitable for matchmaking. If you want a more complex test, then head to eHarmony.
In addition to the personality test, you can answer questions about your hobbies, interests, and lifestyle. You can create a very detailed dating profile if you wish! Discovering such information is nice when browsing other peoples' profiles as you get a decent overview of who they are and ideas for topics for conversation when messaging them.
There was a scandal some years ago when a journalist tested be2. The journalist created several profiles, answering the personality test differently, but was still paired with the same people. As a result, the company faced much scrutiny and changed some of its practices, so you should be paired with the right people these days!
Features
Apart from its algorithm for matching people, the site has some fun features where you can send people personal questions and a variety of emojis.
Apart from that, it’s a straightforward dating website where you can search for members using basic search criteria, such as their looks, drinking habits, and other factors. You can then favourite matches and send messages - and emojis!
Meeting members
As mentioned, there’s a basic search filter that you can use to find matches. You also get matches based on your personality test and location, so you're matched using their own dating app algorithm - they will list your best matches without you having to search for them.
In addition, there's a feature where you can see photos of members and swipe yes or no, like Tinder.
You can also click on a tab that shows members who are currently online. That way, you can strike up conversations right away.
Website design
The design of the be2 dating site is nice and clean. There are no bells and whistles, but it’s straightforward to use and has a modern appeal.
Members
Having a quick browse around the site, we found that members tend to fill out at least part of their profile. It’s easy to see that members are looking for more long-term relationships; otherwise, they would not bother to fill in that many details. In short, it's not a casual dating site.
Finding love costs (but not a lot)
While you can sign up to be2.co.uk for nothing, using the site in full is not free. You can't see what it says in the messages you receive, and you can only favourite members if you upgrade. Only premium members can use the site fully, so if you want to find love on be2, you better have your credit card on hand.
Of course, it’s irritating that you have to pay to get unlimited messages, but that's the case with most dating sites. After all, they need to make money. So you shouldn’t hold that against them.
As of January 2023, a premium membership will set you back £40 for one month, while a six-month subscription costs £30 a month and a 12-month one £20 a month. This is by no means cheap compared to other sites, so the success rate better be good! We will get to that a bit later in our review.
Note that be2 operates an automatic renewal membership, as most dating apps do. Once you've found love, you'll need to cancel it in your settings if you use the website or through Google Play or your iPhone settings if you use the app.
Mobile app
be2 is available both on Google Play and the App Store.
On Google Play, be2 gets 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 8,000 reviewers. This is impressive!
On the App Store, it gets 4.4 out of 5 stars from just over 60 reviews.
All figures are correct as of January 2023.
Dating site legalities
When considering using an online dating service, you need to check its terms and conditions and privacy policy to see if there are any "funny" clauses. You would not believe what some matchmaking services get away with! Some companies clearly state they're using fake profiles for "entertainment purposes." Other companies use your data in rather interesting ways. For example, some dating sites set up partnerships with other dating sites and use a common database of members shared across the sites. That's great as you get more matches, but it's good to know which sites people might find you on before you sign up!
Terms and conditions
As for the be2 dating site, most things in their T&Cs seem perfectly kosher.
There is one clause that sounds strange: "be2 has analyses carried out of customer behaviour in the framework of use of be2 services and prepares anonymised or pseudonymised usage profiles for this. Usage profiles are evaluated anonymised or pseudonymised and not in relation to persons. The analyses are intended to improve our services.”
At first glance, this might not stand out to you, not least because it sounds like gibberish. However, having reviewed a lot of dating sites, I know that when companies claim to create profiles to check user interactions, it often means they create fake profiles.
If they only use the profiles to analyse behaviour on the site, as stated here, then it’s fine. I only mention it because some companies create fake profiles, whether bots or profiles operated by moderators, to message new members who haven't signed up for a paid subscription. When free members get lots of messages, they tend to upgrade to a premium membership to be able to read them.
I’m not saying be2 does this, but I did get three messages in the first 24 hours even though I did not write any information on my profile beyond having answered the personality test. Nor did I upload a profile photo.
SiteJabber reviews
A quick Google search will reveal that several reviews on SiteJabber mention the kind of messages that worried me. People also claim there are scammers on the site - but there's usually always some reviewer saying that when it comes to dating sites.
Note that some of the reviews on SiteJabber are clearly fake - they go on to give the site a bad name and then recommend people to use another site. These are usually written by the people working for or on behalf of the other site. Unfortunately, this is why it’s so difficult to rate dating sites. Besides, even if you get some messages from moderators before signing up, it doesn't mean it's a bad dating site. It just means they use marketing tactics that not everyone would agree with.
Privacy policy
As mentioned, it's also essential to check the privacy policy. be2's privacy policy is generally good, but one clause says that when you sign up, you give them the right to share or sell your data to third parties. While it might sound alarming, most dating sites have a similar clause because it gives them the right to showcase your profile on their site and protects them in case the site is hacked. We haven’t heard of be2 selling any data. Nonetheless, you need to know about the clause.
Our impression using the site
The site is easy to sign up for and navigate, and the fact that you have to answer questions when signing up is refreshing. Many sites have you answering questions, but not about your personality or the personality of people whom you wish to match with.
Overall, the site gives a positive impression.
The thing I found strange was, first of all, that I couldn’t use various postcodes in London. They only seem to have certain ones available.
Secondly, when looking at my best matches (as provided by the site), there were fewer than ten. So I tried the search function instead and searched all of London, but the same matches came up. Which leads me to wonder if only ten people in London use the site?
On Google Play, be2 claims they get 20,000 new members daily. If so, the users are not based in Britain, or there's an issue with the search engine on the site, which is why I saw the same members repeatedly.
It's also worrying that I received messages from potential matches without uploading a profile picture. However, as be2 gets 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google Play, I'm willing to overlook this.
Tips for finding love on be2
If you wish to sign up for be2 or any other dating site, there are some tips to bear in mind:
- Do fill out your profile properly
- Keep statements in the positive (i.e. “I’m looking for an honest partner.” as opposed to, “I don’t want to date dishonest people.”)
- Upload at least five photos, of which one should be a relative close-up of your face and one a picture where we see your entire body
- Avoid having bathroom selfies on your profile
- Try to comment on something in someone’s profile when messaging them as opposed to saying something trite like “How was your day?” or “How are you?”
- Never hand out your work or home address, full name, or other contact details until you feel safe in someone’s company
- Meet people in public the first couple of times you meet them, and tell a friend where you are and with whom
- Meet someone as soon as possible for a quick coffee (i.e. a no-pressure date) to avoid disappointment if you don’t click in real life
That’s it, folks—good luck on your dating journeys!
