How to Use Plenty of Fish

Last Updated: October 30, 2022

Plenty of Fish (POF) is an online dating service you can access through a web browser or mobile app using your active phone number. If you're looking to meet and date new people, you're in the right place! We've put together a guide on how to sign up for and use the Plenty of Fish dating service–from setting up a profile, to navigating the app, to messaging potential dates. We'll also cover the differences between free and premium accounts.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Signing Up

1
Launch Plenty of Fish. You can either use the mobile app (the icon that looks like a fish that you can find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching) or go to https://www.pof.com in a web browser.
- If you don't have the Plenty of Fish app, you can download it for free from either the App Store or Google Play Store.
2
Click Register. You'll see this in the top right corner of the page.

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3
Enter your information. You'll need to enter your username, password, email address, gender, birth date, country, and ethnicity to continue.
4
Click Continue. If there are any issues with your account information, such as an invalid email address, the field in question will be highlighted red. Refill that text box and continue.
5
Finish the questionnaire. All fields are required to be answered to continue; click the "Select" text to drop-down a menu with possible answers, then click an answer to select it.
- The first few sections include drop-down menus for you to choose an answer from. As you scroll down, you'll find text fields where you need to type your headline, description, interests, and optional conversation starters. To fill out your description, use at least 100 characters, so you can talk about your hobbies, goals, and aspirations, what makes you unique, your taste in music, or anything else you wish.
- Do not include sexual language in your profile headline, description, or interests as that could qualify your account for deletion.
6
Click Create My Profile Now!. You'll find this at the bottom of the page.
7
Verify your account with your phone number. If you don't have a phone number, you can't create an account.^{[1]
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- Enter the code that was texted to you. You have a limited time to verify with the code, so make sure you have access to that phone as soon as you enter the number to verify.
- If you're using a mobile phone, you might be prompted to share your location with POF. Tap Allow to proceed.
8
Choose pictures to upload. You must upload a picture of yourself to continue. You'll want to make sure your face is clearly visible in the image, but pictures including cartoons, celebrities, and any bare torsos will be deleted.
- Any pictures including nudity will get your account deleted.
9
Click Continue To Final Step. You'll see this at the bottom of the page and can only proceed if you have uploaded a photo.
- You have finished signing up with POF and created a profile. Continue filling out tests and quizzes to get matches more and more relevant to you.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Navigating POF (App and Desktop)

1
Launch Plenty of Fish. You can either use the mobile app (the icon that looks like a fish that you can find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching) or go to https://www.pof.com in a web browser.
2
Click Inbox near the top of the page. You can see all the messages you've sent and been sent from your inbox. Click on a message to open it and read it. You can reply to the message, attach an image already uploaded to your profile, attach a gift, for which you have to be signed up for a paid subscription to use, or delete the conversation.
- If you're using a mobile phone, you need to tap the Messages icon in the center of your screen.
3
Click My Matches near the top of the page. This tab shows you all the profiles matching your criteria specified when you created an account, such as if you would date anyone who smoked.
- If you're using a mobile phone, tap the fish logo > My Matches.
- You can refine your matches by changing the defaults in the drop-down menus that you'll see in the middle of the page in the web browser.
- If you haven't taken the Relationship Needs Assessment, you'll be prompted to in red text.
4
Click Contacts near the top of the page. This page shows you your top prospects from the people you've already contacted.
- If you're using a mobile phone, tap the fish logo > Will Respond to see your matches that will most likely reply to your message.
5
Click Meet Me near the top of the page. This page will show you the profiles in your area. You can click No, Maybe, Super Yes, or Yes if you want to meet them.
- To use Super Yes, you must have tokens, which cost about $1.99 per token.
- If you're using a mobile phone, tap the fish logo > Meet Me.
6
Click New Users near the top of the page. This page shows you the last 20 signups that match your dating criteria, which includes a 50-mile radius of your zip code.
- The POF mobile app does not have this feature.
7
Click My City near the top of the page. This page shows you people in your city.
- If you're using a mobile phone, tap the fish logo > Nearby. You'll see how far the person is from you under their profile picture.
8
Click the notification bell icon at the top of the page. A menu of all your recent notifications will drop-down, including recent profiles that want to meet you. Un-checked notifications appear with a blue background, and checked notifications appear on a white background. If you want to see more details about the notifications, click on them. Some features are only available to upgraded members.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Sending a Flirt

1
Launch Plenty of Fish. You can either use the mobile app (the icon that looks like a fish that you can find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching) or go to https://www.pof.com in a web browser.
2
Navigate to a profile you like. You can find a profile in multiple areas, including Meet Me and My Matches.
- Tap a profile to go to the profile's page.
3
Click Show Interest. You'll see this button next to "Send a Flirt." This will send a message that says "Hey there :)" to that profile's inbox.
- You can also use the text box under the profile picture to write a message if you want.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Upgrading from the Free Version to a Paid Account

1
Launch the Plenty of Fish app. You can either do this on mobile (the icon that looks like a fish that you can find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching) or go to https://www.pof.com in a web browser.
- Use this method if you want to pay for additional features, such as being able to see who has liked your profile.
2
Click Upgrade. You'll see this pink button on the navigation menu near the top of the page or at the top of your screen if you're using a phone.
3
Choose a plan. You can pick between the 8, 4, and 2-month plans.
- You'll see the benefits of an upgraded membership in the panel on the right side of the page, including experiencing POF ad-free.
4
Enter your payment information. You can pay by either entering a credit/debit card's information or by clicking PayPal and entering your PayPal information.
5
Click Upgrade. You'll get an email confirmation of your subscription start date, how much you were charged, and when it will automatically renew.
- To hide or delete your POF profile, you can click Help from the navigation menu near the top of the page and click Delete account in the center of the page, which you'll have to scroll to see.