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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:
On web:
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 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.
We just recently started hosting on Airbnb after they changed the policy on hosts being able to see potential guests pictures before booking. I was concerned about this because like the rest of you, I want to know who is going to be showing up at my house! One thing I have done to overcome this problem is before guests can book (I have instant booking turned on) they have to answer the question of whether their profile picture is a recent photo of themselves. This helps sift out people who don’t want you knowing who will actually be checking in. But on the other hand, some people are new to Airbnb and don’t realize why hosts want to see what their picture. This helps explain why and encourages them to upload a recent photo of themselves. Hope this helps!!
Let’s hide the photos of our accomodations until after they decide to confirm a booking. If they don’t like what they see, please penalize them for cancelling it.
Now your talking...that is a great idea!
....followed by a 1 star bogus review; to have them removed from the platform?
@Peta7 Hey, have you looked at your phone when folks wanna book? The pics are still there but not on my laptop...........so I check that first and then do my FB and other checking. Just kinda hidden thing that seems to be happening.....I'm not shouting it but, its been happening for a couple weeks. If I look at laptop on ABB on pic - open my phone ABB app and there's a pic. good luck and happy hosting, Clara
Thanks Clara! Encouraging news
@Jess78 and others - just a kinda surprise and hidden thing I've discovered - if you are using both mobile phone and computers/laptop/ipads and you get a notification check the phone first - the photos are appearing but on my computer they are hidden until booked. check it out?? I was surprised, but as of the last few weeks that's what's happening. I'm not yelling this to the tree tops but it has helped me vet the folks requesting to book our cottage. Happy Hosting, Clara
Let's start a revolution!
Matteo had a great solution.
Here's what he wrote:
I'm declining all the booking requests until this thing has been removed. And on my decline messages I'm letting people know that, hey, it's not your fault, but until Airbnb doesn't allow me to see the face of the person I'm talking to and that is supposed to come and stay and live in my apartment and share the space with me I'm not accepting anyone.
Lol!! Exactly. The whole situation is so ridiculous!
Considered as the best contribution out of the 1117 to date! Wish we had more 'thumbs up's available.
Unfortunately it's become clear that this is the new normal and Aibnb is not going to respond nor do anything to make our jobs easier. We, the hosts, are what gives this company value, but apparently we are considered replaceable widgets.... It's demeaning and disrespectful but it beats working as a greeter at Walmart.
Well ...Johnny and Mark,
you have summarized succinctly the current quandrum. It will not be changed by Airbnb as you state.
all the hosts who are outraged continue to use the platform, so there will be no change.
Change comes from protest and strike. But none are willing.
I’ve never declined or accepted a guest based on their “looks” but I found that me as a host seeing a request from a potential guest with a photo is really enjoyable,meant people don’t mind putting their photos up there and don’t need us hosts telling them they SHOULD provide one before booking. Would guests feel nice if they had to book a place from a host without a profile picture? I don’t think so.
Let's start a revolution
Matteo had a great idea.
Here's what he wrote: I'm declining all the booking requests until this thing has been removed. And on my decline messages I'm letting people know that, hey, it's not your fault, but until Airbnb doesn't allow me to see the face of the person I'm talking to and that is supposed to come and stay and live in my apartment and share the space with me I'm not accepting anyone.
NO PHOTOS
I just spoke with Airbnb. This was my 3rd call of the day after finding out that they have taken the profile images away until after booking. Although I am guessing (they would not say) that it's due to profiling, I expressed that as a single woman I am not comfortable with this new policy. He told me it was rolled out slowly.
I am a psychotherapist and last year a former client attempted to book with me! The only reason I knew it was him was because I could see his photo. Because I could see who he was, I was able to politely share that it was not ethical for me to host him.
I think every person needs to write to Airbnb and tell them that this is a poor choice and leaves a lot of it's members at risk. It's absolutely creepy. I was even open seeing peoples kids or dogs, somehow they were a human, not a grayed out name.
One of the reasons I have loved being a host is because I hosted people from all over the world! People of every color, religion, etc...
I have to show my ID to give a check, but now I can't see a photo of someone coming to stay with me?
"Don't expect an answer," was what a supervisor told me.
Lovely.
Not okay. As a result, I have turned Instant Booking off and to be truthful, I'm not sure I'll be doing this if the policy continues.
BTW for those of you who are checking the box requiring photos, take a second look at that, it will still ONLY show AFTER the booking.
If you want to share your thoughts with Airbnb, write to them here: press@airbnb.com.