How the Butterfly dating app works
A transgender dating app and website designed around your identity, your choices and your conversations.
Use Butterfly on your phone, tablet or computer with the same account. You can use the mobile website without downloading anything. Start from the official Butterfly website for account access, rather than an unofficial app download.
Describe yourself your way
Choose the gender and sexuality options that fit you, and change them later. Share your interests, pronouns and the kind of connection you are looking for, so someone has a natural starting point for a conversation.
How member feedback shaped profiles
Make your profile feel like you
Customise your displayed gender description, symbol and default profile image. Choose how you represent yourself, including when you prefer not to add a photograph.
These choices grew from member feedback. You should not have to adopt an inaccurate label to take part.
The story behind profile customisation
Find compatible people
Search by location, age and online status, and select the genders you want to include. Your selections are remembered and can be edited. Two-way search also considers other members’ gender requirements, rather than only your own.
Make local search work for you
Send a Flutter
Press the butterfly icon on a profile to send a Flutter. It is a simple way to show interest when you are not sure how to begin.
Ideas for a first conversationTalk without swapping contact details
Use the live chat to join conversations, or move to one-to-one messages when you both want to. You can talk on Butterfly without giving out your personal email or phone number. Unlimited one-to-one messaging requires an upgrade.
Read about free accounts and upgradesRespectful words, built into messaging
Butterfly replaces recognised offensive terms in messages. The original term is crossed out, replacement wording is added and a notice explains that the message has been edited. The correction is visible, helping people understand the change.
Read how the language tool works. You can also block or report unwanted contact.
Small design choices that matter
Photos are optional. You do not have to connect your social media. Profiles use first names, and location is approximated before storage. An offensive-language tool in private messaging replaces recognised terms with respectful wording and marks the message as edited; block and report tools remain available when a person’s behaviour is the problem.
Use Butterfly on your phone
Open the Butterfly website in your phone’s browser and use Join free to create an account, or Log in if you already have one. You can use the mobile website without an app download and access your account on a tablet or computer too.
Start with a profile, set your search preferences and send a Flutter when someone interests you. See the account and messaging information before choosing an upgrade.
Is Butterfly the right trans dating app for you?
Choose a service by how it treats you: can you describe your identity accurately, control what you disclose, understand the costs and act on unwanted contact? Butterfly puts those questions at the centre of its design. We welcome adults of every gender and sexuality who are open to dating trans people respectfully.
Whether you want a relationship or are still working out what connection means for you, say what you want and listen to the other person.