Facebook Dating is a new feature within the Facebook app that allows users to match with potential romantic partners. It operates similarly to other dating apps like Tinder or Bumble, but is integrated directly into the Facebook platform. While Facebook Dating is now available in many countries around the world, not everyone who uses Facebook is eligible to access and use the dating feature.
Age Requirements
One of the most common reasons why someone may not be able to use Facebook Dating is because they do not meet the minimum age requirement. In order to sign up for Facebook Dating, users must be at least 18 years old. This is the same minimum age requirement that Facebook has for creating a standard Facebook account.
Facebook put this age restriction in place to comply with laws regarding minors and online platforms, as well as to create an adult-only environment within Facebook Dating. Allowing users under 18 to access a dating platform could potentially expose them to inappropriate or abusive interactions.
Therefore, if you are not at least 18 years old, Facebook will not allow you to enable Facebook Dating. You will either not see the option to turn it on within your Facebook app settings, or you will receive an error message if trying to access the dating platform. The only way to gain eligibility is to wait until you reach the minimum allowed age.
Ways to tell if you meet the age requirement
- Your Facebook profile lists your birthday and current age as 18 or older
- You are able to modify your relationship status within your Facebook profile
- You can access Facebook Dating from the settings menu in your Facebook app
Location Restrictions
In addition to the age minimum, Facebook Dating is also not available in every country and region around the world. Facebook has rolled the dating platform out on a gradual, location by location basis. There are still many areas where the feature has not yet launched.
As of October 2023, Facebook Dating is available in the following areas:
- Most of North America and South America
- Most of Europe
- Australia
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Singapore
- Malaysia
However, Facebook Dating is not yet offered in:
- Africa
- China
- India
- Majority of the Middle East
So if you live in a country or region where Facebook has not turned on the dating feature, you will not have access to it. The only option is to wait until Facebook expands Dating’s availability to your location.
Ways to tell if Facebook Dating is available in your area
- You see the option to “Turn on Facebook Dating” in your Facebook app settings
- Your Facebook app prompts you to “Unlock Facebook Dating”
- Your friends in the same location are able to use Facebook Dating
Relationship Status Restrictions
Facebook has placed restrictions within Facebook Dating regarding user relationship status and eligibility. Users who list themselves as “married”, “in a domestic partnership” or “in a relationship” within their Facebook profile are not permitted to access Facebook Dating.
The platform is intended for users who are currently single and eligible for meeting new romantic partners. Facebook does not want to enable encounters on Dating between people who are already in committed relationships.
Therefore, your relationship status must be set to “Single” in order to turn on and use Facebook Dating. If you are married or in a relationship, you will encounter errors if trying to enable Facebook Dating.
Relationship statuses that are eligible for Facebook Dating
- Single
- Divorced
- Widowed
- “It’s Complicated”
- No relationship status indicated
Relationship statuses that are NOT eligible for Facebook Dating
- Married
- In a Relationship
- In a Civil Union
- In a Domestic Partnership
- Engaged
To gain access to Facebook Dating, users with an ineligible relationship status would need to change it to an eligible status, such as “Single”.
Account Authenticity Restrictions
In order to increase safety and build user trust, Facebook has also placed some account authenticity requirements around access to Facebook Dating.
Users must fulfill the following criteria related to their Facebook account’s authenticity:
- Have had their Facebook account for at least 1 day
- Have a history of following Facebook’s terms of service – no major violations or bans
- Use their real identity on their Facebook profile
Accounts that are fake, too new, or have a history of violations will not be permitted to enable Facebook Dating. These measures are intended to prevent bad actors from accessing the platform.
Therefore, if your account is using a fake name, was recently created, or has faced prior bans from Facebook, you will be denied access to the dating feature. To gain eligibility, you would need to modify your account to comply with Facebook’s authenticity requirements.
Ways Facebook assesses account authenticity
- Checking if a real name and identity are used
- Looking at account creation date
- Reviewing if any Community Standards violations have occurred
Profile Completeness Requirements
Facebook has also instituted some profile completeness rules for accessing Facebook Dating. Your Facebook profile must have:
- A profile photo of you (no graphics or avatars)
- Your gender listed
- Your birthdate listed
Requiring profile information makes it easier for potential matches to identify who you are and determine if they are interested in connecting. It also provides Facebook with necessary personal data to make better recommendations.
Without a profile photo, gender, and birthdate, you will not have enough key personal information populated to use Facebook Dating. Adding a profile photo of yourself along with filling out the gender and birthdate fields would grant eligibility.
Minimum profile completeness needs
- Profile photo clearly showing your face
- Gender listed as male, female or custom
- Full birthdate including day, month and year
Account Standing and Violations
If your Facebook account is currently facing any restrictions or violations, this may also limit your access to Facebook Dating.
Some situations that could block you from using Dating include:
- Your account was recently unlocked after being temporarily locked or disabled
- You have violated Facebook’s Community Standards
- You have multiple violations or warnings
- Your account is pending deletion
Facebook wants users on the dating platform to be in good standing, without any recent offenses. Major or repeated violations will need to be resolved before regaining eligibility for Dating.
Examples of violations that may restrict Dating
- Harassment
- Hate speech
- Fake accounts
- Spam
- Illegal activity
If you cannot access Facebook Dating due to violations, you will need to go through Facebook’s account review process. Your access may be restored once issues are resolved.
Device Limitations
Facebook Dating is only available on smartphones and tablets through the Facebook mobile app. It is not accessible on the desktop website version of Facebook.
Therefore, if you are only accessing Facebook through your computer’s web browser, you will not have the option to enable Facebook Dating. You will need to download the Facebook mobile app on your iOS or Android device to be able to use the dating feature.
Compatible devices:
- iOS smartphones and tablets (iPhone, iPad)
- Android smartphones and tablets
Incompatible devices:
- Desktop computers
- Mobile websites
- Non-smartphone devices
The Facebook mobile app is required even if you have a smartphone. Accessing Facebook via mobile web browser will not allow eligibility to Dating.
Lite App Limitations
The Facebook Lite app, which is a stripped down version of their mobile app, does not support Facebook Dating. Only the standard iOS and Android Facebook app allows access to the dating platform.
Facebook Lite lacks many features present in the full mobile app. Dating is one of the capabilities not included in the lightweight Lite variant.
Therefore, if you use Facebook Lite on your mobile device, you will need to download the full Facebook mobile app from your device’s app store. Once logged into the standard app, you can then activate Facebook Dating.
App that supports Facebook Dating:
- Facebook for iOS
- Facebook for Android
App that does NOT support Facebook Dating
- Facebook Lite
No Facebook Account
Since Facebook Dating is integrated directly within the Facebook platform, you must have an active Facebook account in order to use it.
If you do not have a Facebook profile, you will not have access to enable the dating feature. Facebook Dating does not function as a standalone app.
Signing up for a free Facebook account is required first. You can create an account via Facebook’s registration page on desktop or mobile.
Once your new Facebook profile is set up, you can then access Facebook Dating if you meet all other eligibility requirements.
Recently Deleted Facebook Account
If you previously had a Facebook account that you deleted, this can also temporarily impact your ability to access Facebook Dating.
Facebook places certain restrictions after an account is deleted before allowing the same user to open a new account or reactivate the old one. These restrictions help prevent abusive behavior.
If your prior Facebook account was deleted within the past 30 days, Facebook will not allow you to sign up for Dating through a new or reactivated account during that period. You will have to wait out the 30 day time window before gaining eligibility.
How recently deleted Facebook accounts affect Dating
| Time Since Account Deletion | Eligible for Facebook Dating? |
|---|---|
| 0-29 days ago | No |
| 30+ days ago | Yes |
Banned From Facebook Dating
If your Facebook account has been specifically banned from accessing Facebook Dating in the past, you will remain ineligible until the ban expires or is removed.
Some actions that can lead to a Dating ban include:
- Violating Facebook Dating’s Community Guidelines
- Repeatedly being reported by other Dating users
- Sending unwanted, abusive or inappropriate messages
Bans from Facebook Dating can range from 24 hours up to a permanent basis. You will receive a notification if you have been banned along with details on the length of the ban.
To regain access once a temporary ban ends, you will need to go through Facebook Dating’s onboarding process again as if registering for the first time. Permanent bans cannot be reversed.
Types of Facebook Dating bans
| Ban Duration | Details |
|---|---|
| 24 Hours | For minor first-time violations |
| 7 Days | For more serious violations |
| 30 Days | For very serious or repeated violations |
| Permanent | For severe safety threats and abuse |
Restricted By Parental Controls
For users between the ages of 18 to 20 who are utilizing Facebook’s parental controls, access to Facebook Dating can be restricted by parents or guardians.
The optional parental controls allow oversight of a minor’s Facebook account, including limiting access to certain features. Since Facebook Dating is an adult-oriented platform, parents can block users 18-20 from accessing it.
If your parent or guardian has chosen to restrict your ability to use Facebook Dating through parental controls, you will not be able to override this on your own until you turn 21. Only the controlling parent or guardian can adjust the settings to allow you to use Dating.
Using parental controls to restrict Facebook Dating
- Parent/guardian enables parental controls for teen’s account
- Parent restricts access to Facebook Dating
- Teen is blocked from Facebook Dating until parent removes the restriction or they turn 21
New Facebook Account After Registration Ban
In some cases, if your original Facebook account was permanently banned from Facebook Dating registration, creating a new account will also not allow you to access the dating platform.
When an account gets permanently banned from signing up for Facebook Dating, this restriction is sometimes applied at the device level. So any new accounts created using the same mobile device will also be ineligible for Dating.
This is intended to prevent those engaged in abusive behavior from simply creating endless new accounts to keep accessing Facebook Dating. The device-level ban helps enforce permanent consequences.
If you encounter this situation, your only options are to use an entirely different mobile device or to appeal the ban by contacting Facebook support.
Conclusion
Facebook Dating comes with an array of eligibility requirements, ranging from age, location, relationship status and more. Failing to meet one or more of these requirements is the most common reasons someone cannot access Facebook Dating.
Restrictions are in place to comply with laws, promote safety, and prevent abuse. If you are excluded from Facebook Dating, understanding the exact reason why can help determine your options to potentially gain access.
In most cases, eligibility can be obtained by waiting for certain time frames to elapse, updating your Facebook profile or account status, or switching to a different mobile device. However, permanent bans will require appealing to Facebook support for any chance of reinstatement.