TheL SMS Verification

Join a women-centred community app by passing the TheL SMS verification step with a virtual number, keeping your real phone number away from your profile and matches.

TheL (热拉 The L, formerly Rela) is a social and dating app aimed especially at queer women, developed by Hangzhou Rela Technology in Hangzhou, China. The company says it was founded in 2014 and has 20 million registered users across 163 countries and regions. It offers a nearby-people feed, community posts and women-only live streaming, and phone verification helps keep fake accounts out of the community.

You enter a virtual number at sign-up and confirm the code to open your account. That is especially meaningful for women who want to connect with Chinese-speaking LGBTQ+ communities, foreigners living in China or elsewhere in Asia, and anyone who would rather not link an app about their sexual orientation to a personal number. Expect a separate women's verification step too.

Privacy is critical on apps like this: get to know someone before sharing your real name, workplace or location, use location features carefully and meet in public the first time. Consider the risks LGBTQ+ people may face where you live, and remember that the account is tied to the number, so re-verification may be needed later.