Facebook is venturing into the dating game with an exciting new service called Facebook Dating that it hopes will rival Tinder and similar apps in terms of quality of matches and user experience. Available across much of Europe and parts of Asia, and accessible exclusively through its core app – potentially wooing away millennials from Instagram (which it already owns). Facebook promises not to share your Dating profile or activities outside the app with friends or other Facebook users and that existing Facebook friends won’t see your usage until added to a Secret Crush list.
Start Facebook Dating Now When signing up, you’ll be asked to upload a profile photo, select your gender (Men or Women), and agree to their terms of service. In addition, some icebreaker questions like: “What kind of music do you listen to?” and “Are there any hobbies or passions?” may also be required of you.
Once your profile is set up, a home screen will display three buttons for you: Profile, Liked You and Matches. In Liked You you will see potential matches selected by Facebook Dating; simply swipe through them as in Tinder to identify those you don’t fancy and tap “X” on those who don’t interest you or select hearts for those you wish to pursue further. Furthermore, Facebook Dating enables users to filter matches according to age, gender identity or education if needed.
Contrary to other dating apps, Facebook Dating allows you to see who has liked your profile and their interests, as well as whether someone indicated interest in meeting up in private messages or dropping pins at locations to notify your date where you will be meeting up. Furthermore, group chat notifications enable all group members of where the location will be.
Facebook Dating stands out by taking into account data gleaned from your daily usage of the platform. Facebook claims you will be able to view people who have attended similar events as yourself or are on your upcoming calendar, suggesting matches if both RSVP for an event. Furthermore, you can toggle on “Events in Common” mode in your settings for additional insights into who else may have attended similar events.
This platform will integrate seamlessly with Facebook Messenger conversations, enabling you to send or make calls through this service without being charged any fees for either. This move by Facebook shows they take their commitment to online dating seriously; we look forward to watching how the platform progresses as it enters mainstream consciousness.
