A practical guide to first-date safety in Indian cities

Meeting someone new should feel exciting, not risky. Verification on Myra lowers the risk that someone is not who they say they are, but it cannot tell you everything about a person. These habits help you stay in control, wherever you live.

Choose the place yourself

Suggest somewhere you know, that is busy and public, and that is easy for you to leave. Cafés, mall food courts, promenades such as Marine Drive in Mumbai or Kochi, and popular parks in the early evening all work well. Avoid meeting at someone's home, a hotel room, a deserted viewpoint or anywhere you would need a lift to reach.

If the other person insists on a different place and will not explain why, treat that as information.

Travel on your own terms

Arrange your own travel there and back. Use the metro where you can, or book a cab through an app so the trip is recorded. Do not accept a pick-up from someone you have not met, and do not get on someone's two-wheeler on a first date, however friendly they seem.

Check the last train or the last ferry before you go out. In Mumbai that might mean the last local on your line; in Kochi, the last water metro boat to Fort Kochi.

Tell someone where you will be

Before you leave, share the time, the place and your match's first name with someone you trust. Myra's Share my date feature does this in a couple of taps and sends only those details, nothing else from your profile. Agree on a time you will message them to say you are fine.

Keep your personal details private for now

You do not need to share your home address, your workplace, your college hostel or your full name on a first date. Myra never shows your phone number to matches, so you can keep talking in the app until you are comfortable moving elsewhere.

Stay in control of your drink and your money

Watch your drink being made and keep it with you. If you prefer not to drink, say so; a good date will not mind. Never send money, gift cards or financial details to someone you met online, whatever the story. Requests for money are the clearest warning sign there is, and you can report them from the chat.

Warning signs to take seriously

• Pressure to move off Myra immediately, or to switch to a video call you did not suggest.
• Stories that change, or a refusal to meet in a public place.
• Any request for money, investment advice or help with a "temporary" problem.
• Comments that make you uncomfortable about your body, caste, religion or family.
• Anger when you say no to anything.

You can leave at any time

You do not owe anyone an explanation for ending a date early. Say you need to go, pay for your own share if you want to, and leave. On Myra, you can end a conversation with a respectful one-tap close, or block and report from any screen if something was wrong.

If you are in danger

Call 112, India's national emergency number. The Women Helpline is 181 in most states, and cybercrime can be reported at cybercrime.gov.in or by calling 1930. Then report the person on Myra, so our team can act and protect others.