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How to get on Raya, and the celebrities you may bump into: Joe Jonas and Channing Tatum were spotted, and Amy Schumer, Simone Biles and Lily Allen met their husbands on the exclusive dating app

Channing Tatum, Trevor Noah and Joe Jonas have all reportedly used the Raya dating app. What other celebrities have dallied with the “illuminati Tinder”, and how can you get involved? Photo: Getty; TNS; sophiexjoe/Instagram

Bumble is one thing, but if you’re a celeb trying to find The One, putting yourself out there can be a risky strategy. Enter the Raya dating app, which has been dubbed “Illuminati Tinder” and the “Soho House of dating apps” for its exclusivity and high bar to entry.

Amy Schumer and her husband Ben Hanisch, who reportedly met on Raya. Photo: @lifeandstyleweekly/Instagram
“The majority of people on Raya are definitely tens,” said one user talking to Entertainment Tonight on condition of exclusivity, adding that “waiting to be accepted to Raya is like waiting outside in a line at a club”. So how does a normal person get on to Raya, and just who might you get the chance to match with? Here’s everything you need to know …

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What is Raya?

Daniel Gendelman, who founded the app in 2015. Photo: @danielgendelman/Instagram
The origins of the app were shrouded in mystery until its founder Daniel Gendelman emerged from the shadows to give an interview to The New York Times in 2018, three years after its founding. He said he had realised celebrities didn’t use dating apps out of embarrassment and that those in creative industries preferred to meet others in similar fields, so he decided to create an app that would “solve a big problem for a small amount of people”. He named it Raya – Hebrew for “friend” – assembled a small team, and the app quickly took off.

How does Raya work?

Not everyone gets to see the insider workings of Raya. Photo: Apple App Store/Raya

In keeping with its exclusivity – or snobbishness, depending on your point of view – the app is only available on Apple IOS (Android users need not apply). Users sign up by inputting basic information about themselves (name, profession, Instagram handle) and then are told to share the details of friends who are already on Raya that will act as referees.

According to Gendelman, the screening process is left to a secret group of “500 trusted members who vote on every application”. No wonder it’s difficult to be accepted!

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How much does Raya cost?

If you’re one of the lucky ones accepted to the platform, subscriptions start at US$9 per month for an annual subscription or US$19.99 per month if you want to pay as you go, according to the Dating By Blane website.

So, which celebrities are on Raya?

Spotted! Joe Jonas went looking for love on Raya, reportedly. Photo: @joejonas/Instagram

When the app initially launched, celebrities including Trevor Noah, Kelly Osbourne and Raven-Symoné all said they were on the platform, per ET. Since then, other celebrity names have emerged either by their own admission or because other users have “outed” them – though exposing who’s on the platform is a big no-no for members, who risk being kicked off if they’re found out.

Lizzo arrives at the 62nd Grammy Awards in January 2020. Photo: Los Angeles Times/TNS

Channing Tatum, John Mayer, One Direction’s Niall Horan and Joe Jonas have all been “spotted” on the app according to UsWeekly, while stars including Lizzo, Players’ Liza Koshy and Selling Sunset’s Emma Hernan have all openly admitted to joining.

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Do people actually find love on Raya?

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and NFL player Jonathan Owens reportedly met on Raya. Photo: @oprahdaily/Instagram

So far, we know of at least three married celebrity couples who met on the app: comedian Amy Schumer and her husband Ben Hanisch, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and NFL player Jonathan Owens, according to Us Weekly, and singer Lily Allen and actor David Harbour, per The Independent.

How can you get accepted on to Raya?

David Harbour and Lily Allen reportedly met on Raya. Photo: @popsugar/Instagram

Given that only 8 per cent of applicants are accepted (that’s more exclusive than Harvard Business School, as The New York Times points out!), don’t hold your breath. However, it’s not impossible, with numerous sources reporting long wait times ranging from months to years before getting the green light.

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Despite the rumours, having a large Instagram following is not a prerequisite for admission, according to the NYT article, but being flashy is likely to not get you an approval. “There are a lot of applications where it’s just a Lamborghini, a yacht and a private plane, and we’re just like ‘see you later’,” Gendelman told the paper. Other things that will count in your favour include having dozens of friends in your network already on the app, and being well regarded in your field, according to the piece.

And while Gendelman has said that looks don’t matter, few who have tried out the platform would seem to agree, so making sure your profile reel is sufficiently curated also seems to be a good idea.
  • Also known as ‘Tinder for celebrities’ or ‘the Soho House of dating apps’, Raya has been matching famous people and creatives with each other since 2015 – so how do you get on it in 2024?
  • If you’re one of the lucky ones to be approved by the secret group of 500 who review applications, you could bump into celebs like Joe Jonas, Trevor Noah and Liza Koshy