# Cherry

> Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/products/cherry | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) | Last checked: 2026-11-09


**In short:** Cherry, also called Cherry Dating, is a UK dating app run by Cherry Dating Ltd in London and founded by City banker Jo Mason. It requires ID verification, compares selfies with passports or driving licences, and uses compatibility scoring and in-app coaching. It matters to the industry as a small test of mandatory verification as a selling point.

## Key facts

- Type: Dating app
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Status: Active
- Website: cherrydating.co.uk
- Operator: Cherry Dating Ltd, private limited company, company number 13734947, status active, incorporated 10 November 2021 (2026) [source](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13734947)
- Headquarters: Registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ; site says made in London, UK (2026) [source](https://cherrydating.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/)
- Founder and CEO: Jo Mason (Johanna Mason), described as a City financier (2026) [source](https://cherrydating.co.uk/media/)
- Core feature: Full ID verification plus compatibility percentage matching based on onboarding questions; planned relationship coaching [source](https://cherrydating.co.uk/media/)
- Verification method: Compares selfies with official documents such as passports and driving licences (2026) [source](https://thenewskick.com/dating-startups-promise-safer-online-romance-amid-rise-in-fake-profiles-and-scams/)
- App Store listing: Cherry - Real Connections, free, 18+, Lifestyle category, developer Cherry Dating Ltd, with voice and video calling [source](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/cherry-real-connections/id1673810759)
- Android listing: Cherry - Real Connections, 10,000+ downloads, version 2.2.15, last updated 5 May 2026 (2026-05-05) [source](https://www.appbrain.com/app/cherry-real-connections/uk.co.codeleap.cherry)
- Development partner: CodeLeap built and maintains the iOS and Android apps [source](https://codeleap.co.uk/portfolio/dating-matchmaking-app/)
- Industry coverage: Dating Industry Insights listed Cherry among four niche apps still operating after a year, noting its mandatory ID check before messaging (2025-01-08) [source](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/entrepreneurs-target-niche-dating-communities)
- Recognition: Featured in Entrepreneur UK's London 100 (2025) [source](https://uk.entrepreneur.com/entrepreneurs/entrepreneur-uks-london-100-cherry-dating/493179)

## About

Cherry is a dating app for iOS and Android provided by Cherry Dating Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 13734947) with a registered office in Covent Garden, London. Companies House lists the company as active, incorporated on 10 November 2021. The company's website names Jo Mason, a City financier, as founder and chief executive. She has said she built the app after finding fake profiles on other dating apps. The app's main feature is identity verification. Press coverage describes software that compares a member's selfie with an official document such as a passport or driving licence. Cherry also asks onboarding questions to produce a compatibility score for each match, includes in-app voice and video calling, and has a coaching section. Its App Store listing is free, rated 18+, and lists Cherry Dating Ltd as developer. The development agency CodeLeap says it built and maintains the app. Dating Industry Insights has described Cherry as a verification-focused niche app that remained operating after its first year, and noted the trade-off between strict verification and user numbers. Startup Fortune reported that many prospective members abandon sign-up at the ID check, which Mason treats as a filter. Cherry has not published user numbers or revenue. Other apps also use the name Cherry, including a sapphic app in Canada and an AI chat app, and they are unrelated to this company.


## Stories about Cherry

- [Niche Dating Apps Face 2025: Can They Thrive Without Diluting?](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/entrepreneurs-target-niche-dating-communities) (2025-01-08)

## Questions



**Who founded Cherry Dating?** The company's website names Jo Mason, a City financier, as founder and CEO. Companies House filing is under Cherry Dating Ltd.

**Does Cherry require ID verification?** Yes. The company says it uses full ID verification, and press coverage describes comparing a selfie with a passport or driving licence.

**Where is Cherry based?** Cherry Dating Ltd has its registered office in Covent Garden, London, and is registered in England and Wales.

**What is Cherry?** Cherry, also called Cherry Dating, is a UK dating app run by Cherry Dating Ltd in London and founded by City banker Jo Mason. It requires ID verification, compares selfies with passports or driving licences, and uses compatibility scoring and in-app coaching.


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