How to Create Your Ark Account

This guide walks you through every step of signing up and setting up your profile on Ark — from choosing how to sign in all the way to setting your relationship goals.

Step 1 — Choose How to Sign In

When you first open Ark, you'll be welcomed with the tagline Date Differently. Tap one of the three sign-in options at the bottom of the screen:

Continue with Phone — enter your phone number and verify via SMS
Continue with Google — use your existing Google account
Continue with Apple — use your Apple ID (iOS only)

💡 Tip: Signing in with Google or Apple is the fastest way to get started — no password needed.

Step 2 — Welcome Screen

After signing in, you'll see a brief welcome introducing Ark as a faith-focused dating app for believers in Jesus. Read through it and tap Next to continue to the account setup flow.

Step 3 — Agree to Community Standards

The Safe from the Storm screen asks you to confirm three agreements before proceeding:

I agree to live by the Community Standards
I agree to the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy
I understand that Ark does not conduct background checks

Check all three boxes — the I Agree button will activate once all are selected.

⚠️ Note: You must agree to all three items to create an account. We recommend reading the Community Standards before proceeding.

Step 4 — Enter Your Personal Information

You'll be guided through a series of required profile questions. Each screen focuses on one field at a time — fill it in and tap Next to continue. The required fields are:

First Name — shown on your public profile
Last Name — used for verification only, not shown publicly
Email — used for account notifications and recovery
Date of Birth — used to calculate your age, shown as age on your profile

💡 Tip: Use your real name and a valid email — this information helps verify your account and keeps your profile trustworthy.

Step 5 — Upload Profile Photos

Tap Add Photo in the Photos screen. At least 2 photos are required, but you can add up to 6.

💡 Tip: Profiles with 6 unique photos get significantly more matches. Use a variety of clear, well-lit photos showing your face and personality.

Your phone's photo library will open. Browse and tap the photos you want to use. You can switch between Photos and Collections tabs at the top to find the right images.

All photos must follow Ark's Photo Guidelines — your face must be clearly visible and no explicit content is allowed.

Step 6 — Identity Verification

Ark verifies your identity with a quick selfie. On the Verification screen, choose one of the two poses:

Hold a copy of the Bible next to your face
Hold your hand up in a wave

Select your preferred pose, then tap Continue to take the photo.

⚠️ Note: This photo is only seen by Ark's verification staff — it will never appear on your public profile.

After taking the selfie, you'll see a side-by-side comparison of the pose illustration and your photo. If it looks good, tap Continue. If not, tap Retake Photo to try again.

Our verification staff will review your submission and approve your account. You'll be notified once it's complete.

Step 7 — Add Profile Prompts

Profile prompts let you express your personality and give others a conversation starter. You can add up to 3 prompts total. Choose from three categories:

Message me about — topics you'd love to discuss
What I am looking for — what you want in a match
About me — something personal and authentic

Tap any prompt from the list to select it, then fill in your answer. You can repeat up to 3 times across any combination of categories.

Step 8 — Required Information

This section contains required questions that help Ark match you with compatible people. Each question appears on its own screen — answer and tap Next to continue.

Relationship Goals
Select what you're looking for on Ark:

Friendship
Dating
Serious Relationship
Seeking Marriage
Get to know me first

You can toggle Show this on my Public Profile to display your goal on your profile.

Denomination
Select the Christian denomination you identify with (e.g. Baptist, Catholic, Non-Denominational). This screen follows the same format as the one shown.

Church Attendance
Indicate how frequently you attend church. This helps others understand your faith lifestyle and find like-minded matches.

⚠️ Note: These fields are required to complete your profile. All answers can be updated later from your profile settings.

Step 9 — Additional Information (Optional)

This final section is optional but helps you and others filter profiles to find like-minded people. It includes details like lifestyle preferences and more.

Tap Continue to fill it in, or Skip to go straight to your feed. You can always add this information later from your profile settings.

💡 Tip: Filling in additional info makes your profile more discoverable to people using filters that match your values.

🎉 You're all set! Once your account is verified by our staff, your profile will go live and you'll be able to start discovering other believers on Ark. If you have any questions during setup, don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.