Safety Center

Sway safely.

Tips for meeting people, how to report or block someone, photo verification, and crisis lines to call if you need help. This page works the way you do — cards you can scan in a minute, links you can act on.

take action now

Report someone

Threats, harassment, fake profiles, anything illegal — our moderators triage every report. Most actions in under 24 hours.

Open the profile or the message.
Tap the “…” menu, then “Report”.
Pick a reason and add details if it helps.

Read what we action →

Block someone

Blocking ends the conversation, hides you from each other on the map, and clears the thread. You can unblock from your menu.

Open their profile.
Tap the “…” menu, then “Block”.
They’re gone from your map, inbox, and Wall.

Manage your block list in-app →

Take down a photo or video

A photo of you posted without consent, a takedown notice, an old account you no longer control — submit a request and we’ll act.

Pick the category (CSAM, NCII, DMCA, other).
Tell us where it lives + your relationship to the content.
Receive a confirmation; CSAM / NCII same-day, everything else 72h.

Open the takedown form →

Meeting someone in person

Meet first, plan later

Suggest a quick coffee, a drink, or a walk somewhere public before going home with anyone. If they refuse to meet in public, that’s the answer.

Pick the spot

Choose a venue you know — a bar you go to, a coffee shop near you. Familiar staff and lighting beats meeting at a stranger’s door.

Tell a friend

Drop your plans + the other person’s profile link in a thread with someone who has your back. Set a check-in time. Apple’s Find My or Google’s Trusted Contacts work too.

Video chat first

Open a video call inside the thread before you meet up. It takes a minute and you find out fast whether the person matches their photos.

Trust your gut

If something feels off — the messages don’t add up, the photos look fake, the rush is too hot — leave. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Substances + safety

Be deliberate about what you use, with whom, and where. Test your supply when you can. If someone pressures you, that’s a no.

Online + in the app

Never send money

Anyone asking for cash — a flight, a gift card, an emergency, an investment, anything — is running a scam. Block and report.

Keep personal info private

Your full name, employer, home address, banking info — none of it belongs in early messages. Share when you’ve actually met and want to.

Move conversations off platform later

Keep your first chats inside Sway — if anything goes wrong, we have a record to act on. Move to text / signal / instagram once you’ve actually met and you trust each other.

Spot a fake profile

One photo, no bio, brand-new account, instantly intense — all classic fake-profile tells. Look for the gold check, ask for a quick video call, and report if the math doesn’t add up.

Verify your photos

The gold check on a Sway profile means the user took a live selfie and our system matched it to their primary photo. Verified profiles get a check on the map; everyone can filter to verified-only from the map filter sheet.

Get verified in 30 seconds

Open Sway → Edit profile → Verify your photos.

Open the app

Get help right now

If you or someone you know is in crisis, these lines are free, confidential, and answered by humans. They don’t need to know you’re here.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline24/7 free + confidential support for anyone in distress. US.
The Trevor ProjectCrisis intervention + suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth. Text 678-678.
LGBT National HotlinePeer support for the LGBT community. Mon-Fri 1-9pm PT, Sat 9am-2pm PT.
Anti-Violence Project24/7 free + confidential bilingual hotline for survivors of hate violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence.
National Domestic Violence Hotline24/7 free + confidential. Text START to 88788.
NCMEC CyberTiplineReport suspected child sexual exploitation. We’re a mandatory reporter and will follow up.

Read our policies

The legal documents behind every safety feature on Sway.