{"id":1059,"date":"2022-03-02T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virlan.co\/tech\/?p=1059"},"modified":"2022-03-01T15:39:41","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T20:39:41","slug":"how-does-raya-work-what-are-the-rules-of-dating-in-this-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virlan.co\/tech\/app\/how-does-raya-work-what-are-the-rules-of-dating-in-this-app\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does Raya Work? What are the rules of dating in this app? How much does it cost?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Launched in Feb. 2015, by tech developer Daniel Gendelman, Raya<\/strong> is an invite-only, exclusive dating app<\/strong> that deems itself a \u201cDigital Dinner Party\u201d for people in \u201ccreative industries.\u201d Though its intentional secrecy and intrigue have earned the app<\/strong> the title \u201cIlluminati Tinder.\u201d In 2018, Gendelman told The New York Times that Raya had over 10,000 members across \u201cdozens\u201d of countries. While members are not allowed to name-drop who they\u2019ve seen on the app<\/strong>, Us Weekly, reports a number of celebrity sightings on Raya including Demi Lovato, John Mayer, Channing Tatum, Kiernan Shipka, Drew Barrymore, and Lizzo.<\/p>\n

How Long Does It Take To Get Off The Raya Waitlist?<\/h2>\n

In 2018, Business Insider reported the Raya<\/strong> waitlist was over 100,000 people. Additionally, if you don\u2019t make the cut, Raya likely won\u2019t send you a rejection notice \u2014 various users say your application will just say \u201cpending\u201d forever.<\/p>\n

Ryan shares that having many friends already on the app refer him likely helped move his application along. Though he was only on the waitlist for a week, Ryan shares that in the last year, he\u2019s referred a dozen of his friends. It\u2019s taken them multiple weeks to hear if they\u2019ve been accepted.<\/p>\n

While the site says Raya<\/strong> adds new members every day and that it could take \u201canywhere from a day to a few months\u201d to get admitted to the app, it\u2019s hard to tell how long the average wait time is. Laura, 32, an artist and model from LA, says that she\u2019s been on the waitlist for over two years. One reviewer on the App Store<\/strong> has been waiting since 2017. Even former Bachelorette Hannah Brown took to Instagram in Feb. 2020 to complain about being on the waitlist for months.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve even messaged them asking and they just told me to wait,\u201d Laura tells Bustle. \u201cI get the impression that\u2019s it\u2019s just influencers on there. A friend with a lot more Instagram followers than me was accepted, and told me that\u2019s largely what she sees.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Does Raya Dating App Work?<\/h3>\n

Though Raya<\/strong> may be dubbed, \u201cTinder<\/strong> For Famous People,\u201d the music and slideshow function makes it feel more like a …PowerPoint. \u201cYou pick a song and a make a slideshow of your pictures,\u201d Ryan says. \u201cWhile you view the slideshow, the song plays in the background.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Tinder<\/strong>, Raya<\/strong> operates on a swipe, match, and message system. If you click on someone\u2019s photo, their slideshow and song will start playing. From there you can swipe \u201cYes\u201d or \u201cNo.\u201d If both people say, \u201cYes,\u201d you can text message or video chat within the app. But, matches expire after 10 days if no one bites the first message bullet, and you\u2019re only shown a limited amount of profiles per day. \u201cIt\u2019s like five to 10 [profiles] every few hours I think,\u201d Ryan says. As one App Store<\/strong> reviewer puts it, \u201cYou only see a few people per day, so it\u2019s not just a numbers game.<\/p>\n

In addition to the slideshow, users upload one main picture for their profile, a short bio, along with their age, location, and work. \u201cYou apply with Instagram,\u201d Ryan says. \u201cSo your handle is on the page.\u201d Ryan says he has 8-10 photos on his slideshow. While your Instagram handle is on your page, you will have to upload your own photos.<\/p>\n

The Rules Of Raya Dating App<\/h4>\n

Ryan couldn\u2019t share screenshots of the app<\/em>, because that could get him kicked off. These guidelines go for celebs too. In 2018, Vanderpump Rules\u2019 Stassi Schroeder tweeted about being kicked off for simply \u201ctalking about\u201d the app<\/strong> in public. Once you get accepted to the app, Ryan says you have to agree to a list of rules. On Raya\u2019s website, the guidelines say applicants must be over 18, not have public depictions of hate, and can\u2019t have \u201cconsistent displays of excessive wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guidelines read: \u201cEvery member is expected to follow our simple rules of respect, trust, and privacy. Raya removes former members who don’t share these same community ideals. Furthermore, we reserve the right to suspend or remove any membership we no longer feel strengthens our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Much Does Raya Cost?<\/h4>\n

According to the App Store, once you\u2019re admitted to Raya<\/strong>, a membership is $9.99 per month. But users can pay more for extra in-app<\/strong> purchases, such as extra likes.<\/p>\n