Frequently asked questions
Magnetic is a free beta, in San Diego County only, for adults. You claim a seat at a Magnetic Night, planned as a weekly evening, and meet one or two people on 20-minute video dates, with no swiping and no messaging. The first night is Thursday, December 3, 2026, at 7:00pm Pacific and none have run yet. The questions below cover the format, cost, eligibility, photos and privacy, safety and the science.
The format
What is Magnetic?
Magnetic is a video-first dating service run by Varosity, Inc. and made in San Diego. Instead of swiping and messaging, you claim a seat at a Magnetic Night, planned as a weekly evening, and meet one or two people on 20-minute video dates. It is relaunching as a free beta in San Diego County.
What is a Magnetic Night?
On a Magnetic Night, planned as one evening a week, everyone who claimed a seat shows up at the same time. The app pairs you, and you meet one or two people on 20-minute video dates that night. There is no swiping beforehand and no messaging at any point. How a Magnetic Night works walks through it step by step.
When is the first night?
The first night is Thursday, December 3, 2026, at 7:00pm Pacific, in San Diego. If we can’t seat a balanced room, we’ll move the night and email you at least 48 hours ahead. If a late cancellation means we have to move it later than that, we’ll tell you as soon as we know. No nights have run yet, and seats are not open yet. People on the founding list are emailed when seats open.
Is there really no swiping or messaging?
Really. There is no feed of profiles to browse and no chat. The first contact you have with someone is the video date itself. If you want to know why we built it that way, read our piece on dating app burnout.
Is there a mobile app?
No. Magnetic runs in the web browser on a phone or a laptop. There is nothing to install.
Cost
What does it cost?
Nothing during the beta. Joining the founding list and going on dates are free, and we do not ask for a card to join. Our Terms describe per-date pricing that does not apply during the beta. If pricing is introduced, it will be announced before it applies to you.
Who can join
Who can join?
Adults, 18 and over. Magnetic Nights are starting in San Diego County only, so to claim a seat during the beta you need to live there. Anyone can join the founding list.
I am not in San Diego. Should I still join?
Yes, if you would like to hear when Magnetic opens near you. Join with your ZIP code and we will email you when your city opens. We cannot promise when that will be. It depends on who signs up near you.
Why do you ask my gender, who I am looking for and my birth year?
Because a night only works if the room is balanced. Your gender and who you are looking for tell us how many seats to open and for whom. Your birth year is there because Magnetic is for adults only. All three are optional when you join the founding list.
Is Magnetic for LGBTQ+ daters?
The founding list lets you say you are a man, a woman, non-binary or other, and that you are looking for men, women or everyone, and you are only ever paired with someone who is also looking for you. Early nights will be small, so on a given night we may not be able to offer everyone a match. If that is the case we will tell you plainly rather than seat you without one. The first nights are likely to have the most seats for women seeking men and men seeking women, so a match is less certain for everyone else until the list grows.
Photos, consent and privacy
Do I need a photo to join?
Not to join the founding list, which needs only your email and ZIP code. Your first name, gender, who you are looking for and birth year are optional. A photo comes later, when you set up your profile before a night, and no facial analysis runs until you have given explicit consent.
Who sees my photo?
Other members never do. They see an illustrated avatar. Your photos are stored so you can view, replace or delete them, they are sent to our AI provider, Anthropic, to be analyzed, and a small number of Magnetic administrators can view them for safety and support. A written description of your features, not the photo, is sent to OpenAI to draw the avatar. The Privacy Policy has the full detail.
What does the facial analysis actually measure?
Geometric features of your face, such as the proportions of the upper, middle and lower face, the spacing of the eyes, jaw angle and the shape of the nose, cheekbones, lips and brows. They are encoded as 32 numbers, which the Privacy Policy calls a facial fingerprint. It is used only to compute compatibility within Magnetic and is not sold.
Can I delete my photo and data?
Yes. You can delete your account from Profile > Settings, or email privacy@varosity.com. Deletion requests, including your photos and facial fingerprint, are processed within 30 days. You can also ask for a copy of the data we hold about you.
What happens to my founding-list details?
We use them to email you about Magnetic, to decide where to open and to balance seats. Every email has an unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing stops email but does not delete your entry; to see or delete it, email privacy@varosity.com. Entries that have not become accounts within 24 months of joining are deleted.
Safety
How do I report someone?
The plan for Magnetic Nights is a report button on the call screen and again after each date. A report stops you from being paired with that person again and is logged for review. You can end any date early without giving a reason.
Are the video dates recorded?
Magnetic does not record them, and our Terms prohibit members from recording a call without consent.
What if we both say yes and want to meet in person?
That is up to the two of you, and it is outside what Magnetic runs. Use the same care you would with anyone you met online: meet somewhere public, tell a friend where you are going, and arrange your own way there and back. Our Terms are explicit that meeting in person after a Magnetic date is at your own risk.
The science
Does looking alike really mean a better date?
Nobody knows yet, including us. Studies have found that romantic partners tend to resemble each other somewhat more than random pairs of people do. Whether resemblance predicts attraction or a good first date has not been established. That is the question the beta is testing. We go through the evidence in Do couples really look alike?
Is the matching trying to find my twin?
No. Facial-geometry similarity is one ingredient in the matching. You are also only paired with people who are looking for someone like you in the ordinary sense: the right gender and age range.
Still have a question?
For the night itself, see How a Magnetic Night works. For who is behind Magnetic, see About. For anything about your data, email privacy@varosity.com.