How to Get on Raya

Co-authored by Maria Avgitidis and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: June 21, 2024 Fact Checked

Hoping to set up a profile on Raya? This exclusive, membership-based dating app is well-known for its famous clientele, including celebs like Channing Tatum, Kiernan Shipka, Liza Koshy, and Drew Barrymore.^{[1]
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Research source} Although it’s free to download in the App and Google Play Stores, it isn’t as simple to join as generic matchmaking apps like Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge. No worries, though—we’ve outlined everything you need to know about this prestigious app, so you can have the best shot at getting accepted on the platform.

Section 1 of 7:

How do you get accepted on Raya?

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1
Provide your basic information and Instagram username. Like most dating apps, Raya asks for some basic info, like your first and last name, email address, and birthdate. The platform also asks you to include your Instagram username.
- An Instagram account is required for your Raya application—you’ll have to make an account for yourself if you don’t have one.
- Raya asks applicants to “use an Instagram account that is most representative of your online identity as it will be used for verification purposes.” So, make sure you aren’t including a friend or random celebrity’s Instagram here, or your application probably won’t be accepted.
- According to Raya’s website, the committee uses your Instagram profile to get an idea of “how you see the world.”^{[2]
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Include specific information about your location and career. The Raya application asks you to list both your current city and hometown. The app also asks you to provide your “career industry,” and gives you a list of options to check off (like Athletics, Film, Beauty, Medicine, etc.). You’re also asked to include your job position, along with the company you work for.
- You can select up to 2 career industries on your application.
- You don’t have to list your employer if you don’t want to.
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3
Get a referral from a current Raya user. The staff at Raya really value community, camaraderie, and familiarity among their user base. Because of this, all Raya applicants need to receive an official referral from an existing member to ensure that you’ll be a good fit for the app.^{[3]
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Research source} On the last step of your application, Raya asks you to include a Raya member that can back you up during the application process.
- Check in with your friends and acquaintances and see if any of them are already signed up through the site.
- If you don’t personally know anyone on Raya, try networking on social media instead! Make a quick Twitter or Instagram post asking for a referral, and see if anyone reaches out.

Section 2 of 7:

How long does it take to hear back from Raya?

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It can take days, months, or years to hear back from Raya. Raya’s anonymous selection committee doesn’t provide an estimate for when they accept or deny applications, so it’s impossible to predict if/when you’ll hear from them. Raya also doesn’t tell you if your application was rejected—instead, you’re left “pending” indefinitely on the app’s waitlist.^{[4]
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Research source} If you’re accepted, you’ll be invited to use the app for a monthly fee.^{[5]
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- Some people hear back from Raya in a matter of days, while some people are stuck on the waitlist for over a year.^{[6]
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- Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get accepted. Raya only greenlights about 8 out of every 100 applicants, which gives them a tougher admittance record than Harvard Business School.^{[7]
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- Some celebrities don’t even get accepted onto Raya! Singer Demi Lovato and reality TV star Hannah Brown have both had trouble getting on the platform.^{[8]
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Section 3 of 7:

Tips for Getting Accepted

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Increase your social media following. Some of Raya’s most famous members are well-known and have a significant following. So, it’s safe to assume that having a large following can make your application stand out. Focus on boosting your Instagram follower count specifically, since you’ll be giving your Instagram username to the Raya team.
- Try boosting your social media presence on sites like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter, too.
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Develop expertise in an interesting field. Raya officially approaches their selection process as though they’re inviting a handful of people to an exclusive dinner party. They’re looking for “guests” that have something engaging and unique to bring to the dinner conversation—this includes your career and pastimes.^{[9]
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- Use the checklist of career industries provided on the Raya application as a reference point. Careers in athletics, film, food, journalism, literature, music, philanthropy, TV, theater, travel, business, media, government, medicine, science, tech, beauty, fashion, design, and photography are all professional backgrounds that Raya seems to be on the lookout for.
- Raya is especially interested in accepting people who add “something extra” to the conversation, like “poets, painters, NASA scientists, and cancer researchers.”
If your Raya application is “pending” for a long time, send an email to the Raya team and see what they have to say. Just keep in mind that Raya gets a lot of emails each day, and they may not be able to reply to yours very quickly (if at all).^{[10]
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Section 4 of 7:

How much does it cost to be on Raya?

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Monthly membership starts at $19.99. According to Raya’s official “App Store Preview” page, base membership costs $19.99 a month. You can also buy a membership for multiple months at a time—the app’s list of “In-App Purchases” is pretty vague, but it’s safe to assume that a 6-month membership costs $89.99 while a 12-month membership costs $119.99.^{[11]
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- Some people claim that Raya membership only costs $7.99 per month, but this price point isn’t listed on their official app page.
- You can also pay for extra features on the app, like buying extra likes and signing up for a premium Raya+ membership.

Section 5 of 7:

How many followers do you have to have to be on Raya?

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Some people suggest having at least 5,000 followers to get accepted on the site, but Raya’s official website doesn’t list a specific follower requirement. Still, Raya is all about finding people who share “a common bond with fellow members of a community,” so it definitely won’t hurt to have a high Instagram following.^{[12]
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Section 6 of 7:

Can an average person get on Raya?

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Although Raya’s claim to fame is being the “celebrity dating app,” non-celebrities definitely have a shot at getting accepted onto the app. Even college students have reported getting accepted.^{[13]
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Section 7 of 7:

What is the Raya app like?

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Standard dating apps often leave you swiping through a series of selfies—Raya, however, takes a different approach. On the platform, your profile is more like a “story,” where your profile pictures cycle to the background music of your choice.^{[14]
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A “match” occurs once you and another person mutually hit each other’s “heart” profile icon.^{[15]
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Research source} You each have 10 days to shoot over a message and get the ball rolling; otherwise, the match expires and neither of you can connect again through the app.^{[16]
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Raya is a super private community, and taking screenshots of your chats or other people’s profiles is a strict no-no. If you take a screenshot while using the app, you could get kicked off the platform.^{[17]
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Warnings

If you do get accepted, be sure to follow Raya’s official terms and conditions really carefully. The Raya team won’t hesitate to remove you if you violate their terms of use and community guidelines. You can read them here: https://www.rayatheapp.com/termsofservice.

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