Your IP: 134.209.35.165 • Your ISP: DigitalOcean, LLC • Your Status: Unprotected Get ExtremeVPN and connect to one of our fast servers to protect your internet traffic.
ExtremeVPN Logo

How to Delete Your Plenty of Fish Dating Account: Easy Guide

Last updated: May 12, 2024 14 min read
How to Delete Your Plenty of Fish Dating Account: Easy Guide
Plenty of Fish

Have you found The One on Plenty of Fish or another dating service and want to take a step back from online dating? Chances are you simply got bored of the platform. Or you might have realized that POF just isn’t working out and figured it’s time to walk away.

Whatever your motivation, once you’ve concluded that POF is no longer the dating site for you, you may terminate your account. If you don’t know how, don’t worry; learn how to do so.

What is Plenty of Fish?

What is Plenty of Fish?

Plenty of Fish is one of the most widely known and used online dating programs that targets single people looking for a future romantic partner. This digital matchmaking tool includes a range of choices for communicating with other users, from true messaging to minigames.

The app is available to download on all devices. It’s free to sign up and easy to start dating on it. Moreover, it offers several features to its users like POF live and chemistry match that can enhance your dating journey.

Who Created Plenty of Fish?

Who Created Plenty of Fish?

Although POF has become one of the world’s leading dating websites, it started with simple ambitions. In 2003, Markus Frind, a computer genius from Vancouver, Canada, established Plenty of Fish after he saw an opening for the site in the online-dating sector.

Markus initially had no intention of dominating the online dating scene. Inside the comfortable confines of his flat, he began building a basic dating site from scratch. His sole purpose was to improve his resume and hone his coding skills. All he had on hand was his computer and an immense amount of willpower.

What started out of this project was the early version of Plenty of Fish, a simple website aimed at helping people find love without breaking the bank. Sure, it wasn’t as polished as it is now, but it got the job done. And the best part? It was totally free to use, which was a game changer in an era when other sites were charging for their services.

Word quickly spread about the free dating site, and before long, POF started growing like crazy. People were drawn to its simplicity and just like that, what began as a side project is now the dating giant with over 5 million users worldwide.

Reasons to Consider Deleting Your Plenty of Fish Account

Reasons to Consider Deleting Your Plenty of Fish Account

1. Scams Prevention

Several scammers and false profiles go unnoticed on popular dating services. Due to the fact that Plenty of Fish is a popular website and is free to use, there may be a significant number of scammers on the platform.

If you want to stay one step ahead of such scammers, it’s wise to keep your profile visibility to a minimum. For this reason, removing your profile after using the platform might be a wise choice if you value your online privacy.

2. Private Data Concerns

Your digital footprint, i.e., the personal information that can be found online, expands with every new profile you make anywhere on the internet. I know what you’re thinking: how does this relate to the scene of online dating? And is POF really a safe option?

Here’s the breakdown: With POF, your account holds lots of data, from your profile pictures, contact information, and demographic data to your dating preferences. Unethical hackers can use the information against you if your data ever falls into the wrong hands in the near future.

3. Security Risks

While POF itself is safe for now, there’s always a potential risk lurking in the shadows with any online service. If hackers target the platform, your data could be exposed and end up floating around the murky depths of the dark web.

What’s more? Cybercriminals can potentially use your details to discover your real-life identity, track you down, and cause trouble.

What You Should Consider Before Deleting Your Plenty of Fish Account

What You Should Consider Before Deleting Your Plenty of Fish Account

Deleting your POF dating account is a permanent decision. Once you make the call to bid farewell, there’s no turning back. If you decide to rejoin the POF community later, you’ll need to start fresh by opening a new account.

You should know that any data from your old account cannot be recovered for your new one. If there are pictures or conversations you wish to keep, it’s best to back them up before you delete your Plenty of Fish account.

Here’s a heads-up: If you’re using the paid plan, just because you remove your POF account doesn’t mean your subscription automatically cancels itself. You still have to manually cancel it with the same account you used to buy the subscription. Don’t worry; we’ll walk you through the steps involved soon enough.

How to Delete Your POF Account on Various Devices

How to Delete Your POF Account on Various Devices

If you’ve made up your mind to delete your dating account, you can now read our simple guide on getting it done.

For Website Users (Mobile or Desktop Browser)

  1. Head to your “My profile” section.
  2. From there, select “Settings.”
  3. Scroll down until you find the “Delete my account” option.
  4. Click on “Delete account” and then simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

For Android Users

Unfortunately, the Plenty of Fish app for Android doesn’t currently offer an option to delete your account within the app itself. However, don’t fret! You can still accomplish this by logging into your account through your mobile browser. Once you get there, follow the same steps as outlined in the “For Website Users” section above.

For iOS Users

If you’re using an iPhone, you can delete your account directly from the app. Just follow these three simple steps:

  1. Open the Plenty of Fish app on your iPhone device and move to “My profile.”
  2. Click on “Manage account.”
  3. Choose the “Delete my account” option.

How to Hide Your Profile on Plenty of Fish

How to Hide Your Profile on Plenty of Fish

If you’re feeling like you need a breather from POF but aren’t quite ready to say goodbye permanently, consider hiding your profile instead. By doing so, your profile won’t appear in the service’s public areas.

Hidden profiles are not visible to others on the site, so you won’t appear in features like Meet Me on POF. But, you’ll still be able to chat with users you’ve connected with already.

Hiding your profile comes in handy if you wish to keep up conversations with a specific user on POF and are not more concerned about being visible to the general public. It also helps reduce your exposure to potential scammers who might exploit the information on your profile for their fraudulent dating schemes. Here’s how to do it:

Hiding Your POF Profile on a Website (Windows, Chromebook, MacOS, and Linux)

  1. Go to the POF website and log into your account.
  2. At the top of the webpage, click on My profile” and choose “Edit profile.”
  3. Scroll down to the “Profile Visibility” section.
  4. Tap on the toggle to switch off your visibility.

Once you’ve hidden your profile, it won’t show up in any search results or suggestions. However, if you ever feel like jumping back into the dating pool, fear not! You can easily unhide your profile at any time and make yourself visible again by reversing the steps.

Hiding Your POF Profile on iPhone

The POS app for iOS offers a handy “Take a break” feature. It’s a unique way to pause your profile, kind of like deleting it, but less permanent. During this break, your profile won’t appear on the “Discovery” page. Also, you can’t use the “Meet Me” feature to find new potential matches or exchange messages. To use the “Take a break” feature on iOS:

  1. Head to “My profile.”
  2. Click on “Manage account.”
  3. Select “Delete my account.”
  4. Then, tap on “Take a break.”
  5. Choose the desired duration of your break.

You can continue using the POF app even before the set break duration ends. Simply start engaging your profile again, and it will unpause automatically.

It’s possible you don’t like this feature and just prefer the traditional method of hiding your profile instead. In this case, you can sign into your POF account with a mobile or desktop browser and hide your profile from there as we discussed earlier.

Hiding Your POF Profile on an Android

Here’s how you can hide your profile using the Plenty of Fish mobile app:

  1. From the home page, go to “My profile.”
  2. Click on “Manage account.”
  3. Look for the “Hide my profile” option in the “Settings” section.
  4. Tap on the toggle to switch off your visibility.

How to Cancel Your POF Subscription

How to Cancel Your POF Subscription

To cancel your POF subscription, you’ll need to follow different steps based on how you purchased it. Here’s what you need to know: If you used a payment method linked to your account, like the App Store or the Play Store, you must cancel the subscription using that same account: On the contrary, if the subscription isn’t linked to any Apple or Google account, you can just cancel it from the POF official site.

Remember, even if you decide to delete the account, you must cancel the subscription separately to avoid having to clear charges for a service you no longer use. Here’s how to cancel you POF subscription:

On Website

If your subscription isn’t tied to a Google or Apple account, you can cancel it through the official Plenty of Fish website:

  1. Visit “Manage account” on the POF website.
  2. In the “Membership section, choose “Account type.”
  3. Then, from the “My membership” section, tap on “Cancel membership.”

On Android

Follow the steps below to do it:

  1. Open the Google Play Store app and click on your profile icon in the top right corner.
  2. Choose “Payments & subscriptions,” then locate the POF subscription.
  3. Click on “Cancel subscription.”

On iPhone

Follow these three simple steps to cancel your Plenty of Fish subscription on an iOS device:

  1. Head to the App Store and click on your Apple ID from the top of the screen.
  2. From there, click on “Media & purchases,” then “View account,” and finally “Subscriptions.”
  3. Find the POF subscription and tap on Cancel subscription.”

Are You Deleting Your Plenty of Fish Account Because it isn’t Working for You?

Are You Deleting Your Plenty of Fish Account Because it isn't Working for You?

If your major reason for wanting to deactivate POF account is because it’s not living up to your expectations, consider giving your photos and bio a quick once-over before you give up completely.

Sure, you can still explore other options like Match.com or give apps like Tinder or Bumble a shot. But here’s the hard truth: If you’re struggling to make your profile compelling, chances are you’ll face similar challenges on other dating platforms.

With online dating becoming more and more popular, the competition is fierce so you need to put in the extra effort to stand out. 

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Before we let you go, we’ll share with you three valuable Plenty of Fish profile tips to help you be more visible and attract more reasonable matches. Let’s get into it!

1. Use Natural-looking Pictures on Your Profile

It can be tempting to use photo editing tools to perfect your profile pictures but tread carefully. While subtle touch-ups can enhance your appearance, going overboard may turn off potential matches. According to POF data, 64% of users prefer scrolling through natural-looking and unedited images.

The key is to ensure any adjustments you make, like brightening your smile or smoothing out minor imperfections, appear seamless and natural. You want your photos to reflect the authentic you without looking overly edited.

If you’re not sure about editing techniques, consider seeking professional assistance. Many online dating services now offer natural image editing as part of their package. Or even better, you can hire a skilled freelancer from platforms like Fiverr to help enhance your dating profile.

2. Write Your Headline Carefully

Many singles underestimate the importance of their Plenty of Fish headline and treat it as an afterthought. What you put there doesn’t actually matter, right? Wrong! Here’s the reality check: Your dating profile headline can significantly impact your match rate, for better or for worse.

Think of your headline like a news story title. It needs to grab attention and entice the reader. If it falls flat, you probably won’t get any clicks. Don’t be boring or negative in your headline content. Instead, keep it upbeat and engaging. After all, your headline takes center stage in the Match feed.

Just a few words hinting at loneliness, frustration with online dating, or desperation to meet quality people can send the wrong message. Learn from others’ mistakes and draft a headline that reflects your positive outlook and personality.

3. Avoid Negativity in Your Messages and Profile

Plenty of Fish regularly surveys its users and often releases insightful studies every year. One of those studies highlighted the detrimental impact of negativity on message exchanges, labeling it the top conversation buzzkill.”

To help you avoid this dating pitfall, Plenty of Fish compiled a list of things to avoid mentioning in your POF profile. This includes lines like “Will fill this out later” or “I’ll come back to this.” Why? Because these phrases instantly convey a lack of interest in potential matches, and that’s not the vibe you want to send.

Also, listing things you dislike or specifying the type of people you’re not interested in meeting is not attractive. Instead, keeping your profile positive and optimistic will attract more matches.

FAQs

Is Plenty of Fish free? Up
Signing up and creating a profile on Plenty of Fish is absolutely free. You can also send messages to potential matches and enjoy basic functionalities like adding pictures to your profile without any charge. However, you’ll need to commit to a paid subscription to access more advanced features like Live! for creating and sharing 90-second livestreams or checking out who’s viewed your profile and messages.
How much do Plenty of Fish subscriptions cost per month? Up
According to the platform, they offer premium membership plans users can subscribe to to enhance their dating experience and find more potential matches. The prices are $25 for three months, $60 for six months, and $110 for twelve months, respectively.
Can I search for matches on Plenty of Fish without joining? Up
No, you cannot. Even during our review of the dating site, we didn’t find any possible way to search for profiles on POF without initially signing up for an account. While you’re not required to pay a membership fee to find matches, you have to at least have an active account on the site.
How can I delete my POF account if I’m unable to log in? Up
There are simple ways to tackle this issue. For one, If you recall either your email address or username, simply head to the sign-in page and click on the “Forgot Password” link. From there, you can reset your password and regain access to your account. Alternatively, if you can’t remember both, try browsing through your email inbox. A quick search for ‘Plenty of Fish’ might reveal the confirmation email you received when you first signed up. Take note of the email address to which it was sent and use it to recover your account. If that doesn’t work either, you can then contact POF support for assistance. They’re available to help you navigate these sorts of situations.
What do I do if I can’t delete my POF account? Up
If you can’t delete your account because you see yourself returning to Plenty of Fish down the line, hiding your profile is likely your best bet. It’s the ideal choice for anyone who isn’t quite ready to permanently delete their account.
Is it possible to reactivate an account after deleting it? Up
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Once you delete the dating profile, there are no means of reactivating the same account. However, suppose you didn’t delete your account personally, or the POF team takes it down for community guidelines or spam violations. In such cases, you can send them an email to see if they can reactivate the account.

Knowledge is Power, ExtremeVPN is Freedom

Protect you identity while dating online!

GET STARTED 30 days money back guarantee

Share this article

About the Author

Ellie George is an IT expert passionate about finding, utilizing, and managing software solutions fo...
More from Ellie

Related Posts

Comments

No comments.

ExtremeVPN Watermakr Icon

Protect and enjoy your digital life with ExtremeVPN

  • Safe and seamless streaming
  • Privacy on Wi-Fi networks
  • No DNS leaks
  • One account, ten devices
  • 6,500+ servers in 78 countries
Get ExtremeVPN