FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask us before installing, answered against what the app actually does today. If something here is out of date or unclear, tell us and we will fix it.
Getting started
- What is Dunno?
- A free app for deciding which film to watch, between two people or a group of up to eight. You each swipe through the same deck, and when you land on the same film, that is your match.
- Do we both need an account?
- No. A live session runs in guest mode: one of you starts it, the other joins, and neither of you signs up. An account is what saves your matches, lists, stats and preferences afterwards, and it is free too.
- Do we both need the app installed?
- Yes. The QR code is scanned from inside Dunno, so both phones need the app. If someone sends you an invite link, opening it on a phone with Dunno installed takes you straight into the session; if you do not have it yet, the link points you to the store.
- How do we start a session?
- One of you opens a live session and gets a QR code and a short code. The other scans the QR from the app, or types the code in. From there you are both swiping the same deck.
- Is it for groups too, or only couples?
- Both. Up to eight people can swipe the same deck, and you choose whether a match needs everyone to agree or just a majority. It works as well for four people after dinner as for two on a sofa.
- Does it work if we are not in the same place?
- Yes. Beyond the live session you can pair permanently, or make a group, and swipe whenever each of you gets round to it. The moment you land on the same film you are both told, wherever you are.
How the deck works
- How does Dunno decide what to show us?
- It scores a wide pool of films for everyone in the session at once, rather than ranking them for one person and filtering for the other. Genre, decade, country and individual actors all build up a learned affinity from your swipes; the stars you give films you have watched feed a second, slower signal; and a film the other person has already liked climbs sharply.
- Can one of us veto a whole genre?
- In effect, yes. If any member of the session has a settled pattern of rejecting a genre, or has a content filter on, those films are pushed to the bottom of the deck. Rejections also weigh about twice as heavily as likes, because saying no is the more reliable signal.
- How long before the deck is any good?
- The first deck of a session is deliberately broad and spread across tones, because it is still working out what you like. It narrows from the second one on. Around a hundred swipes in, the genres, decades and actors you keep rejecting have stopped showing up.
- Can I filter by the streaming services I pay for?
- Yes. Tick your subscriptions and what you can actually stream rises in the deck; turn on the strict filter and everything else disappears from it entirely. Availability comes from TMDB and can occasionally be out of date.
- Why do I keep seeing recent films rather than old classics?
- Films released before 2000 have to be very highly rated to earn a place in the deck. It is a deliberate trade: without it, the deck fills with old titles nobody in the room is going to pick at eleven at night.
- What if we still cannot agree?
- There is a roulette. It spins through the films you have all already liked and picks one. The decision is made and nobody had to give in.
Price, languages and your data
- What does Dunno cost?
- Nothing. There is no subscription and no premium tier — the whole deck and every feature are available to everyone.
- What languages is it in?
- Nine: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
- Is my profile public?
- Only if you switch it on. It is off by default; when you turn it on you get a link, you choose which sections it shows — top films, taste stats, what you have watched, your public lists — and the page carries a noindex tag so search engines do not list it. Nothing about your partner or your groups is ever published, and switching it off makes the link stop working straight away.
- Can I export or delete my data?
- Yes, from settings, without emailing anybody. Deleting your account erases your swipes, matches, lists and profile. There are step-by-step instructions on the delete-account page.
- Where does the film information come from?
- Posters, synopses, cast, trailers and streaming availability come from The Movie Database (TMDB). Dunno is not affiliated with any streaming service.
Match movies with anyone
Everyone swipes. When you match, you watch.
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