Smitten is a dating app that’s redefining the way people connect. Unlike traditional dating platforms, Smitten focuses on making conversations more fun and engaging, helping users break the ice with interactive features. Originally launched in Iceland, the app has grown rapidly, attracting over 2 million users, facilitating 20 million conversations, and expanding its presence across Scandinavia.

Leading Smitten’s back-end engineering, Yossi Rozantsev sought to improve the app’s user verification process.

Building a user verification system Smitten could trust

As a dating app, Smitten relies on phone number verification to ensure a seamless sign-up experience and keep bad actors and fake profiles off the platform. 

However, they faced issues with their previous provider:

• A significant portion of SMS messages weren’t being delivered, leaving new users locked out.

• Support was slow and unresponsive, failing to address technical issues.

Yossi knew they needed a better solution. One that offered superior deliverability, robust fraud protection, and hands-on support.

Switching to Prelude

After testing Prelude for a week in Iceland, Smitten quickly saw the difference. Prelude’s SMS verification API provided:

1. Improved deliverability 

Messages reached users quickly and reliably, ensuring a smooth registration process. Because Prelude connects its users to 30+ global and local carriers and automatically selects the best route at the lower cost, our clients are able to reach a 99% deliverability rate (while enjoying lower prices).

“The deliverability issue we had with our previous provider is now gone, Prelude is able to reach all our users. After a successful trial in Iceland, we started using Prelude in all our other markets including Sweden, Norway and Denmark” added Yossi.

2. Responsive support

Unlike their previous provider, Prelude offered direct access to expert support via Slack, in-app chat, and email. This level of responsiveness enabled Smitten to quickly activate advanced features like custom Sender IDs and ensure a smooth integration.

“What drew us to Prelude was the level of support we received from day one. Quentin has been super responsive, providing quick and helpful answers whenever we need them. With Prelude, we feel special, unlike our experience with our previous provider, where we were just another customer in the crowd.”

3. Enhanced fraud protection

While Smitten wasn’t dealing with large-scale SMS pumping attacks, they did face issues with bad actors using VPNs and residential proxies. Prelude’s fraud prevention capabilities help block suspicious activity, keeping the platform secure and genuine.

4. Easy integration

With only two API endpoints and SDKs available in multiple languages, the setup was seamless. Smitten was able to test and transition without disruptions.

“We’re very happy with the integration and the onboarding process. The documentation is clear and the API is simple and minimal. Getting started with Prelude took us only half a day, it was incredibly smooth. Plus, having the team respond to our questions so quickly made the experience even better.”

Achieving a more secure and scalable verification system

With Prelude, Smitten has significantly improved its user verification process. They are now successfully blocking bad actors while ensuring a frictionless experience for legitimate users. While pricing was an added benefit, it was the combination of support, reliability, and fraud prevention that ultimately convinced Smitten to make the switch.

Now, as Smitten continues to grow, they have a verification system they can trust, ensuring no real users are getting blocked out of the app.

"Prelude is a modern, well-documented API that’s easy to implement. It’s a great tool, backed by even greater support."