What ID-verified means on Ember.
Before a profile appears to anyone, the person behind it scans a government-issued document and takes a short live selfie. The document is checked for authenticity, the selfie is checked for liveness, and the two are compared. Only when all three pass does the profile become visible, and the nationality and age shown on it come from the document, not from a field anyone can type into.
Each verified profile carries a stamp showing the nationality the document confirmed. The stamp is the same for everyone, because everyone has done the same check.
Why every member, not just some.
On most dating apps, verification is optional, so the people most likely to skip it are the ones you most want screened out. Making it the condition for visibility removes the question. If you can see a profile on Ember, the person has already proven who they are.
It also deals with the two things people fear most on dating apps: that the person is not who their photos show, and that the person does not exist. A live selfie compared against a real document answers both.
How the check works.
Scan your document. A passport, national ID card or driver's licence from your country. The check reads it and confirms it is genuine.
Take a live selfie. A few seconds in front of your camera. This confirms a real person is present, not a photo of a photo.
Done, usually in about a minute. Most checks clear on the spot. A few go to a human reviewer, and you are told when yours is in.
What happens to your document.
The check is run by Didit, a specialist identity provider. Ember keeps only what the check returns: that you passed, your nationality and your age. Your document images stay with the verification provider under its own security and retention rules, and Ember never shows them to anyone.
The same system also catches a document or a face that has already been used for another account, so one person cannot run several profiles.
What verification sits on top of.
Verification is the entry condition. On top of it, every photo is screened automatically before it is shown, report and block are one tap away on every profile and in every chat, and bans are permanent. Then the part that makes Ember different: live translation in every conversation, so a verified person on the other side of the world is someone you can actually talk to. Read about live translation on Ember.
Quick answers.
Which documents can I verify with?
A passport, a national identity card or a driver's licence issued by your country. Documents from almost every country are supported.
Can I use Ember without verifying?
You can create an account and build your profile, but no one can see it and you cannot see anyone else until your check is complete. Everyone you see on Ember has passed it.
Does Ember store my ID?
No. The check is run by a specialist identity provider, and Ember keeps only the result: that you passed, your nationality and your age. Your document images are never shown to other members.
What if my check does not pass?
Most checks clear in about a minute. If yours does not, it goes to a human reviewer, or you can try again with a clearer scan or a different document. Members with questions can write to support@emberdatingapp.org.
How long does verification take?
Usually about a minute. On Ember, six in ten members who verify finish within an hour of signing up.
You might also want to read about live translation on Ember.