The UK’s first-ever online dating app that requires full biometric ID verification of users to “improve safety and security” by preventing fake profiles, catfishing and romance fraud is now available for Mancunians to download.
Fluttr prides itself on offering a secure platform where people can safely find love, and make new authentic connections.
Having aptly-launched on Valentine’s Day, the platform has been designed as a new kind of dating app and online experience that is said to put real people – whose identities have been verified by full biometric ID verification technology – at the heart as a way of preventing commonly-seen abuses in the online dating world, including false identities, catfishing, and romance fraud brought on by anonymity and a lack of security.
If launching on the international day of love wasn’t appropriate enough as it is, Fluttr has also burst onto the scene amid growing awareness of the importance of online safety in the UK, as the government moves to strengthen laws to stamp out ‘threatening and knowingly false’ content or activities that harm individual users online.
On top of that, the current potential for abuse within the online dating sector has been highlighted in this month’s acclaimed Netflix documentary, The Tinder Swindler – which tells the story of a man who scammed women for millions after matching with them online.
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This is why Fluttr is so important.
But, how exactly does it work then? How is Fluttr different to other similar dating apps? And how is it changing the dating game for good?
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Fluttr prides itself on offering a secure platform where people can safely find love / Credit: Fluttr
What is Fluttr?
Fluttr is designed to combat the malignant behaviours proliferating on the internet that are all too evident in the world of online dating.
According to the app’s founders, Fluttr was created out of a vision to transform the landscape of social media and online dating, and give people a positive experience, as well as the safety and control that they deserve when it comes to making new and authentic connections.
How does Fluttr work?
Fluttr is pioneering the use of biometric ID technology to verify every new member from the minute they sign up to the platform.
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Ahead of being admitted into what is known as the Fluttr ecosystem to browse or engage with others, every new member must verify their ID with Fluttr’s digital ID verification partner Yoti – a global leader in digital ID services that is already used by companies and organisations such as the NHS, the Post Office, the NUS, and many leading UK retailers.
Yoti’s state-of-the-art technology ensures that all users are providing their correct details, which are verified from their government-issued ID documents.
The final identification of every user is verified so that those using Fluttr can be reassured that the individuals they are meeting on the app are truly who they say they are, which prevents fake profiles created by people to commit abuse, or by companies luring customers into false interactions for fees or commercial marketing purposes.
Fluttr makes use of award-winning AI-powered image moderation to “improve user safety and security” / Credit:
Why is it so important?
There’s no denying that the growing popularity of online dating apps in the UK over the last decade has led to a sharp rise in romance fraud, with at least one in five people having been the victim of catfishing, according to a 2021 survey by BetMinded.
In the first quarter of 2021, romance fraud cost UK dating app users more than £73.9 million, according to consumer association Which?, and Action Fraud – the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime – also recorded a 40% rise in dating app scams in the same period, as increased numbers of people chose to use online platforms to meet people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Creating “a safe ecosystem” is Fluttr’s top priority.
As well as working to properly verify new members, the app also has a team of content moderators who are tasked with maintaining the safety of the platform by taking down explicit images and removing users engaging in abusive behaviour. Next month, Fluttr will launch its AI content-monitoring feature, harnessing award-winning AI-powered moderation, that detects inappropriate images and language before they leave the sender’s phone to prevent inappropriate content from ever reaching the network.
What makes Fluttr different to other dating apps?
Fluttr’s wants to help reclaim the fun of online dating through a secure and verified environment that empowers users to find “100% real” connections with genuine people on an app where it’s “safe enough to take the risk”.
Once you sign up to the app, you can connect and play games with others on the newly-launched ‘Mystery Fluttr’ interactive feature – which is inspired by the iconic TV show Blind Date, and allows users to play both the roles of the contestant and the potential match.
Fluttr’s founders say they’re planning to release new games every six to eight weeks.
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Fluttr’s secure and verified environment empowers users to find “100% real” on an app where it’s “safe enough to take the risk” / Credit: Fluttr
What else are the founders saying?
“While online dating is now the most popular way to meet people, fake profiles, romance fraud and instances of abuse are taking away the fun and thrill of online dating,” admitted Rhonda Alexander – CEO and co-founder of Fluttr.
“We’re on a mission to transform online dating and reclaim its excitement by retaining itsfun and engaging parts while working to make it safer by using biometric ID verification technology that ensures users don’t have to worry about matching with a fake profile.
“As well as protecting users from fake profiles, Fluttr uses AI-powered content monitoring software to prevent unsolicited pictures and abusive language from ever reaching our users’ phones, and fun in-app games to help people connect without using inaccurate matching algorithms.
“We look forward to seeing Fluttr help people across Britain find love by making online dating a safer and more engaging experience for everyone.”
Where can I download Fluttr? And how much does it cost?
As an initial launch offer, all new users registering in February will be given a three-month free trial, as well as the opportunity to enter a prize draw for a case of champagne and a dinner for two at a restaurant of your choice, or a £1,000 shopping voucher to revamp your wardrobe or get your hands on the perfect date night outfit.
New users signing-up in March and April will be offered a discounted monthly subscription of £9.99 until the end of April, when the subscription reverts to its full monthly price of £14.99.
All users registering from May onwards will need to pay the full monthly subscription fee.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand
Danny Jones
It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.
We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.
Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his younger brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.
Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.
They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.
Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.
Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.
Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.
Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.
They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.
One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.
There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.
In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.
Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.
We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.
Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2022 
