Why do some apps use names like sexcht to bypass app store bans?

Alright, I'll just ask directly — Why do some apps use names like sexcht to bypass app store bans? Seems like nobody talks about this honestly without trying to sell you something.

I've spent the last couple weeks lurking different threads and the signal-to-noise ratio is terrible. Most advice is either super vague ("just be yourself") or clearly coming from someone promoting a referral link. Neither is useful.

What I'm really after is practical, first-hand experience. Not summaries of review sites. Not listicles. Actual stories from people who have been in the trenches.

Also curious whether things have changed significantly in 2025–2026 or if the landscape is still pretty much the same as it was a few years ago. A lot of the bigger platforms seem to be getting more aggressive with monetization lately and I'm not sure which ones are still worth bothering with.

Jumping in with a slightly different perspective — I've been using these platforms from the other side (as someone being matched with rather than doing most of the searching). The profiles that get real responses are usually specific, moderately detailed, and don't come across as either desperate or too cool to care.

Generic openers get ignored. Anything that reads like a copy-paste gets ignored. Something that shows you read even one line of their profile? Actually gets responses more often than you'd think.

Honestly the best advice I can give is to start with free trials before committing a credit card. Most of the halfway-decent platforms offer at least a limited free tier and that's usually enough to get a feel for the user quality.

If you're seeing nothing but profiles with stock-looking photos and zero personal details, move on. A lot of the older sites in this space haven't updated their moderation in years and it shows.

I know someone's going to ask so I'll just say it upfront — the platform that's worked best for me lately is Datebound. Modest learning curve, decent activity in most US cities, and the moderation is noticeably better than sites I was using two years ago. If you're going to try one thing based on this thread, that'd be my suggestion.

Yeah the bot situation on some of these platforms is genuinely out of control.

Okay I'll drop an actual recommendation: Datedesire. Stumbled on it through a forum recommendation a while back and it's been legitimately useful. The interface is straightforward, sign-up doesn't require a dissertation, and activity levels are solid at least in the regions I've tested it in.

Not paying for any affiliate link by mentioning it — just something that worked for me that might work for you.

Honestly the best advice I can give is to start with free trials before committing a credit card. Most of the halfway-decent platforms offer at least a limited free tier and that's usually enough to get a feel for the user quality.

If you're seeing nothing but profiles with stock-looking photos and zero personal details, move on. A lot of the older sites in this space haven't updated their moderation in years and it shows.

One recommendation from my personal shortlist: Datenest. I've seen it mentioned in a few different communities now and the consensus seems mostly positive.

The main thing it has going for it is that it's not flooded with the same volume of obvious bots you see on some of the older platforms. Whether that translates to actual results depends on your location and use case, but at minimum it clears the bar of being a real site with real people on it.