Facebook Dating is Facebook’s new online dating service that allows users to find potential romantic matches within their own friend network on Facebook. Launched in 2018, Facebook Dating builds upon the massive userbase of Facebook to provide a tailored dating experience that aims to help users find meaningful relationships.
As Facebook’s first foray into the online dating sphere, the introduction of Facebook Dating raises many questions about how the service will work and what users can expect from this new platform. Some key aspects that set Facebook Dating apart include integration with a user’s Facebook profile, matches based on more than just common interests, and emphasis on stimulating conversation between matches.
How Does Facebook Dating Work?
Facebook Dating allows users to create a separate dating profile that is not visible to their friends on Facebook. This dating profile pulls basic information like name, age, and location from a user’s regular Facebook profile, but users can customize their dating profile further by adding up to 36 photos and answering icebreaker questions like “What does your perfect day look like?”
Users browse potential matches among other Facebook Dating users who fit their preferred age range, location, and gender parameters. Importantly, users will not see their existing Facebook friends as potential matches unless those friends have also opted into Facebook Dating. This separation from one’s normal friend network allows users to explore potential romantic matches privately within the Facebook ecosystem.
Once matched with someone, users can view that person’s dating profile and like or message them. Messaging is facilitated through a separate inbox just for Facebook Dating. If two users mutually like each other, they will be notified and can begin chatting via messages.
How is Facebook Dating Different from Other Dating Apps?
There are a few key ways that Facebook Dating aims to differentiate itself from other dating apps and sites:
- Integration with Facebook profile – Users’ dating profiles showcase real information from their Facebook profiles, like shared interests, events, groups, and friends in common. This provides a level of built-in legitimacy.
- Events and Groups – Users can browse other users who are interested in the same Facebook events and groups as them, opening up a new way to connect based on shared interests and activities.
- Secret Crush – Users can select up to 9 existing Facebook friends or Instagram followers that they’re interested in as “secret crushes.” They will only be notified of a mutual match, keeping the crush secret if unreciprocated.
- Active matches, not endless swiping – Facebook Dating focuses on suggesting a few high potential matches per day based on preferences and interests, rather than an endless stream of profiles to swipe through quickly.
By tapping into real profile information and friend connections within the Facebook landscape, Facebook Dating aims to help daters evaluate compatibility and identify high quality matches beyond just profile photos. The Secret Crush feature also tries to turn existing friendships into something more for mutually interested users.
Who Can Use Facebook Dating?
Facebook Dating was first launched in Colombia in 2018, and has since expanded to the U.S. and 32 other countries globally as of 2023. To access Facebook Dating, users must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a regular Facebook profile
- Downloaded the most recent version of Facebook
- Have not violated Facebook’s Community Standards or Terms of Service in the past
Users also must create a specific Facebook Dating profile in order to appear as a potential match to others. Eligible users who meet these requirements can access Facebook Dating through their Facebook mobile app by tapping on the menu icon and selecting the Dating tab.
In Which Countries is Facebook Dating Available?
As of October 2023, Facebook Dating is available in the following countries:
- Americas: Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Laos, Malaysia, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, United States
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
- Asia Pacific: Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia
The company continues to evaluate opportunities to launch Facebook Dating in additional countries globally. Initially Facebook stated that Dating would launch in 20 different countries by early 2020, and it has exceeded that rollout schedule.
How Does Facebook Dating Protect User Privacy and Safety?
As a platform facilitating online interactions between strangers, user privacy and safety is a major consideration for Facebook Dating. Facebook Dating aims to create a more trustworthy dating environment through the following privacy features:
- Separate dating profile – Dating profile details are not visible to a user’s regular Facebook friends unless they also have a dating profile.
- Friends will not appear as matches – Users will not see their Facebook friends pop up as suggested matches unless that friend has added their dating profile to their Secret Crush list.
- Voluntary opt-in – Users must specifically opt-in to activate Facebook Dating after agreeing to additional terms of service.
- Photo verification – Users may be asked to submit video selfies to verify their profile photos actually match their appearance.
- Reporting options – Users can easily report inappropriate behavior through the reporting tools built into Facebook Dating.
- Unwanted message protections – Filters automatically detect sexually explicit language and images in chats.
Users must also abide by Facebook’s detailed Dating Community Policies which prohibit inappropriate content and contact with minors. Facebook Dating profiles are monitored for policy adherence.
Overall, Facebook Dating provides reasonably robust privacy controls and protections compared to other dating apps. Leveraging Facebook’s existing privacy infrastructure and avoiding linkages to a user’s default friend network help create a more trustworthy, confidential dating environment.
What Features Does Facebook Dating Offer?
Facebook Dating provides a range of features to help users control their dating experience:
Profile Building
- Integration with Facebook/Instagram profile info
- Add up to 36 additional photos
- Answer icebreaker questions
- Tailor age and geographic recommendations
- Indicate interest in men, women or both
- Prevent profile visibility to certain friends or family
Finding Matches
- Browse potential matches daily
- Adjust match preferences like age, distance and gender
- Follow or unfollow people to control visibility
- Secret Crush feature to match with Facebook/Instagram friends
- View friends-in-common to evaluate connections
- Integration with Facebook Events and Groups
Messaging
- Send messages to any match
- Chat moves to Facebook Messenger after a match
- Photo verification to prevent catfishing
- Unwanted message protections
App Experience
- Free to use, with optional Facebook Dating Premium subscription
- Available as a tab within Facebook mobile app
- Usual Facebook ad targeting does not apply to dating profiles
- Ability to pause profile visibility at any time
With full profile integration, a friends-based Secret Crush match, and engagement-based browsing, Facebook Dating aims to leverage existing social data to facilitate more meaningful matches between users.
Is Facebook Dating Free or Paid?
The core Facebook Dating experience is free for all eligible users. Users can build a full profile, browse potential matches, exchange messages, and access key features without paying anything.
However, Facebook does offer an optional Facebook Dating Premium subscription that unlocks additional features for a monthly fee, including:
- See who has already liked your dating profile
- View profiles while remaining hidden during browsing
- Unlock an additional Super Like per day
- See all Instagram followers that fit dating preferences
The pricing for Facebook Dating Premium varies by country but is generally around $9.99 USD in the United States. Offering a free dating option helps reduce barriers to entry and maximize the size of the matchmaking pool for all users. But subscribers gain some advantages in visibility controls and match discovery.
Facebook Dating Premium Pricing by Country
| Country | Monthly Price |
|---|---|
| United States | $9.99 |
| Canada | $12.99 CAD |
| Brazil | R$ 37,90 |
| Mexico | $159 MXN |
| Colombia | COP$ 35.900 |
| Thailand | 289 THB |
The premium subscription may appeal to some users looking to amplify their dating prospects. But the free version still provides the core dating functionality.
How Successful is Facebook Dating So Far?
It is still early days for Facebook Dating, but some metrics indicate solid initial traction:
- 1.5 billion eligible Facebook Dating users worldwide (20% of total Facebook users)
- Launched in 32 countries as of late 2022
- ~20% of US adults have used a dating site or app as of 2022
- Tinder leads US dating app market with ~50% share
- Bumble, Match.com, OkCupid trail behind Tinder in adoption
While Facebook has not released detailed statistics, third-party estimates suggest Facebook Dating garnered over 50 million users within its first year since US launch. Dating apps saw broader increased adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic as well, likely benefiting Facebook Dating too.
But there are also challenges facing adoption for the new platform:
- Many competitors like Tinder, Bumble already have strong footholds
- Safety concerns around Facebook’s handling of private data
- Younger demographics shifting away from Facebook adoption
- Dating app fatigue among some demographics
Overall however, Facebook Dating’s deep integration with the Facebook ecosystem and its vast existing userbase put it in a strong position to gain traction. But it will take some time before it is clear if Facebook Dating can truly compete with top dating apps and carve out a distinctive niche.
What Do Users Think of Facebook Dating So Far?
Reviews of the Facebook Dating app amongst early adopters have been somewhat mixed, though generally positive:
- Some users enjoy the simplicity compared to swipe-heavy apps
- Reviewing shared interests feels more substantial than quick profile glimpses
- Less overwhelming than getting dozens of matches at once
- Matching with friends-of-friends provides social validation
- Slimmer pickings in some lower population areas
- App is buggy or slow for some users
- Disappointing number of active users within their age filter
- Notification settings need some fine tuning
Average app store ratings land around 3 out of 5 stars for Facebook Dating. Some users are thrilled to find the process refreshing compared to alternatives while others feel the pool of viable matches is still too limited. Complaints about bugs and laggy performance are common early pain points as well.
But overall, Facebook Dating does seem to be delivering a differentiated dating experience that focuses more on substance than hookup culture. As the app stabilizes and reaches more users, the unique dynamics of Facebook Dating could help win over those exhausted by existing dating app tropes.
What Does the Future Look Like for Facebook Dating?
Facebook Dating adoption is still in its early but promising stages. And Facebook has plans to continue iterating on the product:
- Expand country availability further through 2023
- Localization and language support for additional regions
- Improvements to performance and stability
- Introduce new icebreaker questions and profile features
- Add video chat capabilities within the app
- Incorporate Augmented Reality (AR) features down the road
Facebook also plans to enhance safety protections like live moderation and parental supervision tools for younger users. And new kinds of monetization, like ads within the dating product, could also emerge once the userbase scales up sufficiently.
But competitors like Match, Bumble and Tinder will not stand still either, so Facebook Dating needs to cement its distinctive value. Key opportunities lie in fully leveraging the Facebook social graph and the diversity of its global user base.
If Facebook Dating can mobilize its massive reach to successfully match users based on authentic identity and shared interests, it could displace standalone apps that rely on more superficial methods. But only time will tell how fully Facebook Dating delivers on its unique potential – and whether users embrace or shun its deep Facebook integration.
Conclusion
Facebook Dating represents the social media giant’s big push into the online dating market, leveraging its unmatched scale and social graph. While adoption is still ramping up after its 2018 debut, Facebook Dating’s initial traction looks promising. And its strategy of suggesting high potential matches based on genuine profile information offers a differentiated approach compared to swipe-driven competitors.
But Facebook Dating has not yet firmly cemented itself as a top dating app choice, and some users remain skeptical of its privacy protections or unimpressed by its matchmaking powers. As Facebook Dating addresses early growing pains around limited users in some areas or bugs, while expanding geographically and augmenting features, its ultimate destiny as a top dating app contender or niche offering remains uncertain. One thing is clear though – with Facebook’s resources and reach committed to this new product, the dating app competitive landscape is in for some interesting times ahead.