Airbnb Answers: Guest profile photos

[Airbnb]

Update: January, 2019

A few months ago, we told you about some changes Airbnb was making to the way guest profile photos are displayed. You can read the original post, below.

Now that those changes are being introduced gradually, we want to make sure you have all the information you need. Here’s a recap of what will be changing, along with some tips.

New photo process

Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, you’ll receive a guest’s photo after you’ve accepted the booking request. If you have Instant Book turned on, you won’t notice a change to the booking process.

Airbnb does not require guests to have profile photos. Although most guests provide a photo, some have told us they don’t want to share a picture of themselves when booking, and we listened.

At the same time, many of you told us that you value guest profile photos, and we listened to you, too. That’s why we’ve introduced a new option for hosts to be able to customize their own booking requirements.

New host control

You now have the option to require that your guests provide a profile photo. Again, the photo will be visible to you only after you accept the booking request. If you’d like to require your guests to provide a profile photo, you’ll need to turn on the control option in your settings for each of your listings, either on mobile or on web. Specifically:

On mobile:

1. Go to the listing you’d like to require profile photos for
2. Tap Booking settings
3. Tap Guest requirements
4. Look for the Profile photo section and tap Edit
5. Tap Require a profile photo
6. Tap Save

On web:

1. From your host dashboard, click Listings
2. Click Booking settings
3. Next to Guest requirements, click Edit
4. Check the box next to Profile photo
5. Click Save

If you take this step and a potential guest doesn’t already have a profile photo, they’ll be prompted to upload one before they can request to book your space. A guest’s profile photo will not be available to you until after you accept the booking request. If the guest doesn’t want to provide a photo, then they won’t be able to book your space. 

Additional support

If you choose to require that your guests have a profile photo and one of your potential guests uploads an image that doesn’t show their face—a photo of a sunset or their dog, for instance—then you can call Airbnb’s Community Support. They’ll work with you to address the issue, and if you feel uncomfortable hosting someone without a photo that shows their face, you can request to cancel the reservation penalty-free.

As a reminder, Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy prohibits hosts from making booking decisions or canceling reservations based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. 

As an extra step, as always, you can require guests to provide a government ID to Airbnb in order to be able to book your space. You can read more about that process here.

Why these changes are important

We talked with lots of hosts and guests about profile photos, and we think these changes satisfy the core concerns and feedback we heard. We’ll be paying close attention to how these changes to profile photos affect our community, and will continue working to improve and simplify the process to ensure you feel comfortable hosting. We hope you’ll share your feedback with us so we can continue to build a community where everyone can belong. Thank you for hosting.

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October, 2018

You've been asking a lot about guest profile photos, and Airbnb has been working on new policies to address your concerns. Here is an update from Airbnb:

Today, we’re announcing some changes we will be making to the way we display guest profile photos.

Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, hosts will receive a guest’s photo in the booking process only after they’ve accepted the booking request. Airbnb does not require all guests to provide a photo. Instead, we’ll be giving hosts the option to ask their guests to provide a profile photo, which will only be presented to hosts after they accept the booking. We have discussed some of this work in the past and we want you to know more about the changes we will be making in the coming months.

We have participated in a number of conversations with hosts and guests regarding this topic. We have listened to our community, and while most guests provide a photo, some guests told us they don’t want to share a picture of themselves when booking. We also recognize that concerns have been raised about the potential for photos to be misused in a way that violates our nondiscrimination policy.

At the same time, hosts have told us that they value profile photos because they can help hosts and guests get to know one another before a trip begins and help hosts recognize guests when they check in. Additionally, we’ve seen how photos can be a useful tool for enhancing trust and promoting community.

We want to balance these concerns. Airbnb does not require guests to provide a profile photo when booking a listing and, as we discussed earlier this summer with our hosts, we will be implementing a series of changes in the months ahead:

• If a guest chooses to provide a profile photo, that profile photo won’t be displayed to the host as part of the booking process until after the booking is confirmed.
• Because some hosts value profile photos and want to be able to know who they can expect at their front door, we will give hosts the option to ask that guests provide a profile photo prior to booking, which will only be presented to the host after the host accepts the booking request. This new option comes with important safeguards that are designed to ensure our community is fair and open to everyone:
  • Hosts must turn on this feature for each of their listings proactively, before they receive a reservation request.
  • If a host asks for a profile photo, we’ll prompt guests to upload one to their Airbnb profile before they can request to book that host’s particular listing; however, the photo will not be presented to the host until after the booking is confirmed.

If a host cancels a reservation after they see a guest’s photo, the guest will have an easy way to contact Airbnb and report any concerns about potential discrimination by the host in violation of our nondiscrimination policy and Community Commitment. If any guest believes he or she has been discriminated against and notifies our team, we’ll immediately help them book an alternative listing consistent with our Open Doors Policy, investigate the report, and take appropriate action. Any host who violates our nondiscrimination policy may be permanently banned from using Airbnb.

This announcement follows the commitment we made in 2016 to evaluate how we display guest profile photos in the booking process. As we implement these changes in the coming months, we hope you’ll share your feedback with us so we can continue to make thoughtful changes that make the Airbnb community a place where everyone can belong.

[Annette269]

For the time being I’ll add “guest must provide profile photo in order to book” to my Airbnb page. 

[Николай10]

here is the solution. Airbnb already added option for host " guests profile photo required".  Only one important thing : this option must not depend on booking process, thats all. Any guest who decided to book via Airbnb will see among hosts who require photo and who not. And guest without any problem either add his photo and book where photo required or book where not. To make and add photo nowadays is one minute process. Now it is not 60ties right?... Arbnb high board : what the problem to do like this?

[Susan1028]

that photo required setting option was a statement by admin. it is not active 

[Ava-Lee0]

@Susan0 it is required on my side here. They are stil implementing it will get to you soon unless we try to stop this. Everyone should unlist their listings in response to this new policy. Everything turned into grey. All messages from guests who just communicated with me are grey, hosts profile pages turned all grey under their reviews. Guests see our photos we don't see theirs. That interpersonal connection, the trust, the transparency airbnb fought so hard to build is gone, the feeling you are hosting a family, a couple, a wonderful person is gone. All we are left with is a grey area with grey faces. We no longer host people, we host grey shadows, we communcate with shadows. I have no doubt the numbers will crunch, the acceptance will drop. This will be a fiasco! There will be no trust, no human connection, no acceptance, lots of fraud, guests will need to do a lot more to make us welcome them in our homes. We either sit and watch this disaster or we do someting about it. 

[Susan1028]

I hear you and I have to wonder why the founders would step back allow short sighted policy destroy a company it took so many years to build.

[Susan1028]

coincidentally (?) I was traveling last week.  i saw a beautiful glossy hard copy magazine on the airport news stand called “Air BnB.” I used to publish one and it was very nicely done- no expense spared.

When I got on the plane it was to find this article on Southwest Airlines January 2019 issue of “Spirit” their onboard publication, which also included a promotional article about Air BnBs founders’ collaboration with a “business guru” who was hired by them a few years ago and worked his way in to become a primary resource in shaping the business. you can read the article here: 

https://issuu.com/southwestmag/docs/january2019/54?ff

combined with the timing of these other news releases below, i’m realizing the feeling of WTF everyone’s expressing here is due to the inner conflict within Air BnB about some business investments made with company money by the head of finance that went against the philosophy of the founders which indicates significant funds are tied up in market investments, along with the intention of Air BnB stock going public...

For better or worse this umbrella has siginificant capital that tied to the value of its investments as the company prepares to go public eith  its own stock which was previously internal/ employee owned.  

This will change our landscape, especially if competitors buy up a significant portion.

These new policies are probably not coming from the same intention as the founding one and none of us have any idea what will happen.

Id really love yo hear from the management because right now, it’s feeling and looking like we just lost our value as active participants in this endeavor other than as faceless profit centers, which we could experience elsewhere for more $ per night.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/opinion/articles/2018-02-09/airbnb-ipo-woes-brian...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.geekwire.com/2018/2019-blockbuster-year-tech-ipos-uber-lyft-slack-a...

[Wende2]

Hi.....interesting reading, I can't help but think about when I was on Esty an that went to hell for me, and the founder leaving his own company thanks to investors, he did start a new biz but it's not online an local.  I may start questioning people I know who are with VRBO, and research into them. I wonder what will happen to the ABB founders, they'll have less an less say when it comes to having those investors.

[Lizzie]

Hello @Susan1028,

Thanks so much for all your feedback in this discussion, you have been really active.

Just to let you know, Airbnb are currently rolling out the option enabling you to set a requirement that your guests provide a profile photo. Many hosts already have this option in their setting, and this will be available to all hosts over the coming weeks. I'm hopeful you will see this on your account soon.

I hope this helps.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Annette269]

Has anyone else signed up for the disaster relief accommodation offer? I was asked to open my home to people who have suffered in a disaster or volunteers coming to help them. I have not been called on to provide this service as yet but now I’m wondering: will I not receive a photo of these people in need who will be staying with me free of charge? 

[Susan1028]

i suggest you read the community posts about this subject so you can learn about the experiences of others and make your own choice

enter those terms into the community search function and you will find several threads

[Marilyn-And-Alan0]

I tried following the directions for requiring a photo in order to book, I can't find the profile photo section and it looks like guest requirements are all about instant book which I will not do. 

[Николай10]

Following expected if Airbnb continue like this:

1. Conflicts between high standart superhosts and Airbnb will considerably rise

2. Mass outflow of suprehosts from Airbnb

3. Variety of exclusive appartments Airbnb boasted about( and thus they were able to attract plenly of solid guests and money of course!) will be substantially reduced

4. rising quantity of indignant guests complaining on cockroached tobacco smelled dirty boxes which remain at their disposal..

5. Final act : a return of launched boumerang back to Bnb face- mass escape of solid guests elsewhere....

[Dawn298]

I agree,  we need to do what's best for us. But we still need to fight this and let Airbnb know what a grievous mistake they have made. Sending your comments and feedback, etc., by email or phone will let them know how angry and frustrated Hosts are over this new rule.  I sent all my comments posted on this site to them. So far I have not heard anything back from them. We will wait and see. I encourage everybody to do the same. Copy and paste ALL your comments and send them to Airbnb's feedback. And make sure you request a response to your concerns. Let's see how they handle the people, i.e, Hosts, who make them the money. If we all band together and take this a step further, we can make a difference. We can't just let this issue fall away and be forgotten. The more complaints they get the better! Let's not hide under a rock but let them know that we mean business and won't allow them to remove our security...Face photo's of the strangers we will be letting into our homes and families!

[Николай10]

Dawn, what their explanation to do like that? They allegedly want to eliminate all kind of discriminations e.t.c.. But!  Is it really so?. Reading current comments I noticed a lot of women who offer their cozy rooms for guests. Let us imagine following: such woman receive a booking order and as per new sick Airbnb rules with no photo. Let us supose that she accept this ofer and than photo opened. And on this photo she will see some repulsive evil looking bruised face. She will definitely get worried!  And what she has to do then? To cancel? ... And what is it ? A discrimination or potential THREAT, ABSENCE OF SAFETY to hostess who trapped by Airbnb innovations. Seems like Arbnb completely lost logik and mixed all criteria stating on white that its black!  And suppose further, when this potential threat become A REAL ONE! Where all bnb staff will be at those moment?  They willbe beside a poor woman fighting and protecting her? Surely NOT! They just put in danger and suggest NO SAFETY. Such careless attitude really irritate me!

[Dawn298]

That's why I said we need to stand up for our rights as Hosts. Demand photo identification of guests before we accept them or we will not let them into our homes! As hosts, we are leaving ourselves open to abuse and ABB knows it! We need to make Airnbnb's lives as uncomfortable as they have made ours with this silly new rule of no more guest photos. So reach out to ABB to let them know how unhappy we all are. If we just continue to talk among ourselves nothing will be accomplished. A voice that is heard is a voice that rocks the boat!