Frequently Asked Questions

Kind is a premium dating app built specifically for the HSV (herpes simplex virus) community. It features real matching technology, photo verification, and privacy-first architecture designed to give HSV-positive singles a modern, high-quality dating experience.

Kind uses a taste-based matching system that learns your preferences over time based on who you interact with, not just surface-level filters. The more you use the app, the better your matches become.

Kind is free while it is new — full access to all features. There are no paywalls for basic functionality like messaging or seeing who liked you.

Kind is free while it is new. This includes full access to all features: messaging, matching, and discovery. There are no hidden fees or premium tiers that lock basic features behind additional paywalls.

Yes. Your HSV status is protected with application-layer encryption before database storage. Your HSV details are not stored in plaintext, and Kind does not sell HSV-related information or use it for third-party advertising.

Every user must complete photo verification before they can see or appear in the discovery feed. You take a real-time selfie matching a specific pose, which is compared to your profile photos. The verification photo is processed in server memory and permanently deleted the moment the check completes.

Kind+ is a free, application-only tier with extra matching and visibility controls. For example, Kind+ members can choose to appear only to other Kind+ members. You apply from inside the app, and it never costs extra.

Kind is designed for the HSV-positive community. The platform is built around the shared experience of living with HSV, and membership is intended for people who carry HSV-1 or HSV-2.

Kind is available on both iPhone and Android — download it from the App Store or Google Play.

Kind does not sell your personal data or use HSV-related information for third-party advertising. We share data with service providers only as needed to operate, secure, support, and improve the service, as described in our Privacy Policy.

Kind profiles are shown only inside the app, to members who have passed Kind's photo verification. Your profile is not visible on the open internet, in search engines, or to anyone who has not completed the verification process within the app.

Yes. Kind includes an in-app advocacy hub with curated community resources and ways to get involved in herpes-stigma advocacy, plus detailed guides on dating, disclosure, and living well with HSV. Kind is built to be more than swiping.

Kind requires photo verification for every account before it can appear in the discovery feed. This significantly reduces the possibility of fake profiles. Any account that fails verification is not shown to other users.

Kind was built by a software engineer who is HSV-positive. The app was created out of personal experience with the limitations of existing HSV dating platforms and a belief that the community deserves a modern, high-quality alternative.

Open the app, tap your profile icon (Me tab) in the bottom right, then tap Settings, then Privacy. Scroll to the bottom of the Privacy page — "Delete My Account" is the last option, below the Always-On Protection section. Confirm the deletion and you will have a 30-day grace period to reactivate by signing back in. After 30 days, our deletion process permanently removes account data such as profile records, photos, messages, matches, and related app data, subject to limited records we may need to retain for legal, security, fraud-prevention, or audit purposes.

According to the World Health Organization's 2020 estimates, about 3.8 billion people under age 50 (64%) have HSV-1 and about 520 million people aged 15 to 49 (13%) have HSV-2 worldwide. In the United States, CDC survey data from 2015–2016 found HSV-1 in 47.8% and HSV-2 in 11.9% of people aged 14 to 49. Most people with herpes have no symptoms or only mild ones, so many do not know they have it.

For most people, herpes is a lifelong but manageable infection, and most people who have it have no symptoms or only mild ones. Serious complications are rare but real: the World Health Organization lists brain infection (encephalitis), eye infection (keratitis) and neonatal herpes in babies exposed during delivery, and notes that HSV-2 raises the risk of acquiring HIV about three-fold. People with a weakened immune system can have more severe outbreaks. If you are pregnant, tell your healthcare provider that you have herpes. Consult your healthcare provider for medical advice specific to your situation.

You can report any user directly from their profile or from a chat conversation. Reports are typically reviewed within 24 hours. Serious or repeated violations result in permanent bans.

Yes. Kind is a dating app for people with HSV-1 or HSV-2, available on iOS and Android. Every account passes photo verification before it appears in discovery, and your HSV type is encrypted at the application layer. Other HSV-focused services include PositiveSingles, MPWH and Meet Positives. Our herpes dating sites guide compares their audience, devices and costs.

It depends on who is active near you, which devices you use and what messaging costs. Kind is free while it is new, with messaging and every feature included, and every account passes photo verification before it appears in discovery. PositiveSingles offers free registration and paid premium features; its membership FAQ says standard members can reply to premium members, while starting conversations requires premium. MPWH offers a free profile and basic features, with premium features at extra cost. Check nearby activity and the current price at checkout before paying for any service.

Yes, you can use mainstream dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, or Bumble if you have herpes. There is no rule against it. The main consideration is disclosure — you will need to tell potential partners about your HSV status before physical intimacy. Some people prefer HSV-specific apps like Kind because everyone there lives with HSV, which removes the anxiety of the disclosure conversation.

Dating someone with HSV is largely the same as dating anyone else. The key additions are: educate yourself about transmission rates and precautions, have an open conversation about sexual health, and discuss risk reduction strategies like daily antiviral medication, condom use and avoiding sex during outbreaks. In the largest study of couples where one partner had genital HSV-2, 1.9% of partners acquired HSV-2 over eight months when the partner with herpes took daily valacyclovir, compared with 3.6% with a placebo (Corey et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2004). Condoms lower the risk further but do not remove it. A healthcare provider can help you choose precautions. Many serodiscordant couples have healthy, fulfilling relationships.

PositiveSingles offers free registration and paid premium features. Its membership FAQ says standard members can reply to premium members, while starting conversations requires premium. Confirm current pricing and renewal terms directly. Kind is free while it is new, with messaging and all features included.

PositiveSingles lists 1-, 3- and 6-month premium plans on its cost page, with a lower monthly rate on longer plans. Prices change, so check the current price and renewal terms at checkout. Its cost page lists unlimited messaging and seeing who viewed or liked you as premium features, and its membership FAQ says standard members can still reply to messages from premium members. Kind is free while it is new, with messaging and seeing who liked you included.

There is currently no cure for herpes (HSV-1 or HSV-2). However, herpes is manageable with antiviral medications like valacyclovir (Valtrex) and acyclovir, which reduce outbreak frequency, severity, and transmission risk. Many people with HSV have infrequent or no outbreaks, especially over time. Research into herpes vaccines and gene therapy is ongoing. Consult your healthcare provider for treatment options.

Yes. HSV-1, the main cause of oral herpes, spreads mainly through contact with sores, saliva or skin in or around the mouth, so it can be passed on by kissing. The risk is highest when cold sores are present, but it can also spread when the skin looks normal. Most HSV-1 infections are acquired in childhood, and about 64% of people under age 50 worldwide have HSV-1, according to the World Health Organization. HSV-2 spreads mainly through sex and is not typically spread through kissing.

About 64% of people under age 50 worldwide have HSV-1, according to the World Health Organization's 2020 estimates. That is roughly 3.8 billion people. In the United States, CDC survey data from 2015–2016 found HSV-1 in 47.8% of people aged 14 to 49. Most HSV-1 infections are acquired in childhood, and many people who have it never notice symptoms or do not know they have it.

Herpes can remain dormant (latent) indefinitely. After initial infection, the virus retreats to nerve ganglia where it can stay inactive for months, years, or even a lifetime without causing symptoms. Some people never experience a noticeable outbreak. Dormancy does not mean the virus is gone — it can reactivate, and the World Health Organization lists triggers such as illness or fever, sun exposure, menstrual periods, injury, emotional stress and surgery. The virus can also become active on the skin without causing any symptoms (asymptomatic shedding), which is how herpes is often passed on.

Ethically, you should tell sexual partners about your HSV status before physical intimacy, and the World Health Organization lists talking to your partner about having herpes as one way to lower the risk of spreading it. Legal rules differ by country and by US state, so check the law where you live, or ask a lawyer, if you are unsure. Regardless of legal requirements, disclosure builds trust, allows informed consent, and often strengthens relationships. On Kind, everyone lives with HSV, so that conversation starts from shared understanding.

Herpes outbreaks typically appear as small clusters of fluid-filled blisters or sores on or around the mouth (oral herpes) or genitals (genital herpes). The blisters may break open, leaving painful sores that crust over and heal; the CDC notes they may take a week or more to heal, and a first outbreak is often the most severe. However, many people with herpes have mild symptoms that can be mistaken for other conditions like ingrown hairs, razor burn, yeast infections, or bug bites. Some people never have visible symptoms at all. Because many conditions look similar, CDC guidelines advise confirming a suspected outbreak with a laboratory test of the sore, so see a healthcare provider while sores are present.

Yes. MPWH (Meet People With Herpes) is a real, active dating service for people with herpes, with a website and iOS and Android apps. According to Wikipedia, MPWH became part of SuccessfulMatch.com in 2018, and the PositiveSingles website footer names the same company, SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc. Creating a profile and using basic features is free, and premium features cost extra. Legitimate is not the same as right for you: before paying, check recent activity near you, the features in the current plan and the privacy policy.