This dataset contains the screenshots of the technical walkthrough of profile creation of 12 Mobile Dating Apps (MDAs). Screenshots have been anonymized when necessary for privacy protection. The dataset is divided by app and by data collection timeframe. Additionally, the dataset contains a .txt file of fieldnotes and a .xlsx table that summarizes findings.

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The study analyzes gender and sexual identity self-categorization affordances in the process of profile creation on 12 Mobile Dating Apps. Gender identity is defined as a person’s deeply felt, inherent sense of being a girl, woman, or female; a boy, a man, or male; a blend of male or female; or an alternative gender, which may or may not align with sex assigned at birth (APA 2015). Sexual identity (MacLeod and McArthur 2018) is defined as a person’s sexual and/or emotional attraction to another person (APA 2015). The term affordances identifies the possibilities of action(s) made available by technologies. Data were collected as field notes and screenshots, and followed the guidelines for the walkthrough method (Light et al., 2018). The analysis of gender and sexual self-categorization affordances considers the following dimensions: - definition of gender and sexuality as either mandatory or not mandatory during the process of profile creation; - gender identity categorization, in terms of categories of the user’s own gender, and – sexual identity categorization, in terms of categories of the user’s own sexual identity, or sexual orientation, or in terms of the preferred gender of the persons they wish to see on the app. This cross-platform analysis resulted in a categorization of MDAs gender identity affordances as binary, ternary, list or miscellaneous; and sexual identity as ternary, list,or miscellaneous.