Facebook Dating is a feature within the Facebook app that allows you to match and chat with potential romantic partners. While many users enjoy Facebook Dating, others may find the constant suggestions distracting or undesirable.
What are Facebook Dating suggestions?
Facebook Dating suggestions are profile cards of other Facebook users that the algorithm thinks you may be interested in romantically. These suggested profiles will appear in a special “Suggested for You” section in the Facebook Dating tab.
The Facebook Dating algorithm generates suggestions based on your preferences, interests, social circles, events, pages liked, and other factors. The more you use Facebook Dating, the more data it has to refine suggestions to your tastes.
Why you may want to turn off suggestions
Here are some common reasons people choose to turn off Facebook Dating suggestions:
- You find the suggestions distracting or cluttering your Facebook experience.
- Too many unsuitable or irrelevant suggestions are showing up.
- You are currently happy in your relationship and not looking to connect romantically.
- You are taking a break from dating right now.
- You only want to view profiles of people you have matched with.
- You want to limit social media use and online dating.
How to turn off Facebook Dating suggestions
If you decide you want to turn off Facebook Dating suggestions, here is how to do it:
- Open the Facebook app on your mobile device and tap on the menu icon in the top right.
- Scroll down and tap on “Facebook Dating.”
- In the Facebook Dating tab, tap on the profile icon in the top left corner.
- Tap on “Preferences.”
- Under the “Discovery” section, tap on “Suggestions for You.”
- Toggle the switch off next to “Get Suggestions for You.”
Once you toggle off suggestions, you will stop seeing new suggested profiles in your Facebook Dating feed. However, any suggested profiles you have already seen may still be visible until you take further action. Keep reading to learn how to clear current suggestions.
Clearing current Facebook Dating suggestions
In addition to stopping new suggestions, you may also want to clear any suggested profiles that are currently populating your Facebook Dating tab. Here is how to remove current suggestions:
- In the Facebook Dating tab, tap the three horizontal lines menu icon.
- Tap on “Suggested for You.”
- Tap on “See All.”
- Tap on the three dots next to each suggested profile and select “Not Interested.”
Doing this will immediately remove the profile from your suggestions. Repeat for every profile currently populating your feed.
Alternative ways to find matches
If you turn off Facebook Dating suggestions, here are some other ways you can still find potential matches:
- Browse all Facebook Dating profiles in your area using search filters like age, location, interests, etc.
- View your existing matches and conversational connections.
- Use the Secret Crush feature to match with friends or Instagram followers.
- Manually like or comment on profiles that catch your eye.
- Wait for users to like or message you first.
Temporarily hiding Facebook Dating
Another option is to temporarily hide Facebook Dating if you want a break but don’t want to permanently disable it. Here’s how:
- Go to the Facebook Dating tab.
- Tap the profile icon.
- Tap on “Take a Break.”
This will hide Facebook Dating from your account. When ready to start using it again, just go back to the menu and tap “Facebook Dating” to reopen it.
Disabling Facebook Dating
If you decide Facebook Dating isn’t for you and want to permanently disable it, here are the steps:
- Go to the Facebook Dating tab.
- Tap the profile icon.
- Tap on “Disable Facebook Dating.”
- Confirm you want to disable the feature.
Once disabled, Facebook Dating will no longer appear in your app. To reactivate it, you’ll have to go back through the onboarding process as if setting it up for the first time.
Pros and cons of disabling suggestions
Before turning off Facebook Dating suggestions, consider the pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No more unwanted or irrelevant profiles | May miss potential compatible matches |
| Less distracting during work or time with family | Need to be more active in seeking matches manually |
| Greater control over your dating experience | Features like Secret Crush rely partially on suggestions |
| Can focus energy on existing connections | Less “serendipitous” matching experience |
Other Facebook Dating preferences
In addition to turning off suggestions, you can customize other Facebook Dating preferences and settings to improve your experience:
- Age range for suggestions
- Geographic radius for matches
- Gender(s) to show you
- Filter by religion, height, children, and other attributes
- Show me on Facebook Dating profile to friends or wider audience
- Receive notifications when you have a new match or message
Adjust these to avoid wasting time on irrelevant profiles and focus on matches you are truly interested in.
Conclusion
Facebook Dating suggestions are intended to help you discover compatible romantic partners, but can feel invasive or cluttered. If you prefer to manually search profiles or focus on existing connections, turning off suggestions may create a better experience.
Toggle off “Get Suggestions for You” in the Discovery settings. Also remove any current suggestions by tapping “Not Interested.” Consider hiding Facebook Dating for a temporary break or disabling it completely if needed. With suggestions off, you maintain greater control over your Facebook Dating connections.