Frequently Asked Questions

A. For a complete list of icons and what they mean, go to our Icon Help page.

A Smile is a quick, fun way to let someone know you're interested. You pick a one-liner from our list of Smiles, and it's sent to the member of your choice.

To send a Smile, go to any member's profile and click Smile. Pick your favorite Smile and we'll send it to the member's onsite Inbox. He or she can then go to your profile and Smile back with you.

All members can send Smiles for free. If you'd like to take it a step further, we suggest subscribing and sending an email to start up a real conversation.

A. You can change your email address or password on profile page.

• Click the "Your Profile" link in the top menu
• Click "Edit" next to your Username
• Click either Change Email or Change Password

After you've made your changes, click "Save" and you're done.

A. If you don't want other members to know when you've looked at their profile or Listed them, go to Profile Display Settings in Member Services (under Profile section) and select "hide" in the section called "Show/Hide When You View or List Members."

Keep in mind that members who are most active on the site keep their profile visible in all places because it ups their chances of connecting with people. You never know, someone special may be looking for you but never find you if your profile is hidden.

Lists have been a real hit on our sites and have helped bring some unsuspecting couples together! People keep telling us that they contact people simply because they saw in the Lists that a member looked at their profile. So before you hit "hide," give it a chance to work.

A. Members who are really active on the site like to let other members know when they look at their profile or List them because it livens things up and often breaks the ice when it comes to emailing.

So many times we hear that one member contacted someone simply because they saw that that person had looked at their profile or Listed them. Members also say that their Lists lead them to meet members that they might not have seen in a search otherwise.

Think about it. If you saw that someone had Listed you and you liked what you saw, wouldn't you be more likely to send an email?

A. Half of your Lists tell you your activity on the site. Every time you look at or contact another member, it shows up in your Lists and the numbers go up accordingly.

The other half of your Lists tells you about other members looking at your profile or emailing or teasing you. Every time someone looks at your profile or contacts you, it shows up in your Lists and the numbers go up accordingly. Keep in mind, however, that some members choose to hide their profile from showing up in your Lists.

Also, in order to keep your Lists up-to-date, we periodically clean out the members that have been in your "viewed" List for a while. This also changes the counter.

A. Thousands of people meet on our site daily and go on to date and start relationships. We've also had hundreds of marriages across many borders.

A. When a member sends you a note, it goes straight into your onsite message Inbox. We then send an email to your personal email address to let you know that it's there.

To read the note, simply login to the site and go to your Inbox. If you decide to write back, simply click "reply" in the member's note, write your own note and send away. Your note will go straight into the member's onsite Inbox, and we'll let them know it's there with an email to their personal email address.

All communications with other members stay onsite so that you never have to give out any personal information until you feel completely ready. Then when you are, you can exchange phone numbers and even meet in person.

A. To update your profile, go to Your Profile at the top of the page. Click edit next to the section you'd like to update. Be sure to save your changes at the bottom of the screen when you're done.

Try to put your best foot forward with several photos and snappy, detailed essays. Having great photos is very important since most people feel more comfortable writing to members they can see. Try to stay positive in your essays and let the real you shine. At BlackSingles.com, we know how important it is to find lots of interesting and robust profiles when dating online. So we are now requiring all members to have at least one photo to appear on the site (in our searches and members online sections). All new members have 72 hours to browse the site freely before we start asking you for your photo.

To hide your profile, go to Profile Display Settings in Member Services. Keep in mind, however, that members who are most active on the site keep their profile visible in all places because it ups their chances of connecting with people. And you never know, someone special may be looking for you and never get to find you if your profile is hidden.

A. No. Once you purchase a subscription, it will remain active for the remainder of your initial term.