Facebook Dating is a relatively new dating feature within the Facebook app that allows users to match with other Facebook users for dating purposes. One common complaint about Facebook Dating is that it doesn’t seem to show users all of their potential matches, leading some users to wonder why they can’t see all of their matches. There are a few potential reasons why Facebook Dating may not be showing you all of your matches.
You Have High Standards Set
One of the main reasons why Facebook Dating may not be showing you all of your potential matches is because your standards are set too high. When setting up your Facebook Dating profile, you have the option to set preferences for the type of people you want to be matched with. This includes age range, location radius, height, religion, and so on. If your preferences are too narrow or specific, the pool of potential matches that meet your standards will be smaller. Try expanding your preferences to cast a wider net.
The Algorithm Takes Time To Learn
Facebook Dating uses smart algorithms to suggest matches to users based on their preferences, interests, and other profile data. When you first activate Facebook Dating, don’t expect to see all potential matches instantly. The algorithm takes some time to learn about you and find optimal matches. The more you use Facebook dating and react to suggested matches, the smarter the algorithm can become at serving up relevant matches. Be patient and engage consistently with Facebook Dating to give the algorithm time to work.
You Swiped Left On Them
Another simple reason why you may not be seeing some potential matches on Facebook Dating is because you previously swiped left on them, indicating you are not interested. Facebook Dating will remove people from your potential matches that you rejected previously. However, these users may show up again later down the line if they become more aligned with your preferences through profile changes or if your own preferences change. Don’t assume you’ve seen absolutely everyone unless you live in a very small town.
They Don’t Meet Your Location Preferences
Your location preferences also impact the matches you will see. For example, if you set your location range to only 5 miles, anyone outside of that radius will not appear as a potential match. Try expanding your location range if needed to increase the pool of nearby candidates. Also double check that your own location services are enabled properly on your device.
They Don’t Meet Your Age Preferences
In addition to location, your age range preferences will filter potential matches. For example, if you set an age range of 25 to 35, great matches who are 24 or 36 will not show up. Try adjusting your age range to be more flexible if your standards are too limiting. Also be aware the algorithm may take time to find the best age-appropriate matches for you within your selected range.
You Have Mutual Friends
Here is an interesting quirk of Facebook Dating – it will intentionally exclude some potential matches who have too many mutual Facebook friends with you. The rationale is that you likely already know these people well if you have many mutual friends, so matching romantically may be inappropriate. However, you can override this filter in the app settings if you want to see these potential matches anyway.
Different Relationship Statuses
Facebook Dating aims to only show matches who have indicated they are single in their relationship status. So even if you have compatible interests with a Facebook friend, if they list themselves as “in a relationship” or “married” then they will not appear as a match. Remember that Facebook Dating is focused on dating, not just any Facebook connection.
One Of You Hasn’t Activated
For you to match with someone, obviously both people need to have activated Facebook Dating. If your Facebook crush hasn’t activated Dating, you won’t match with them no matter how compatible you may seem. There could be many great potential matches that simply haven’t tried Facebook Dating yet. Encourage single friends you want to match with to activate Dating to make the match possible.
Different Sexual Orientations
Facebook Dating is aligned with a user’s listed sexual orientation. A straight woman, for example, will only be matched with straight men. So if you’re not seeing a particular person as a match, it may be due to incompatible sexual orientations. Of course, someone’s stated orientation isn’t a guarantee of their actual compatibility – but Facebook Dating can only go by the profile data available.
One Of You Has Limited Discovery
There is a Facebook Dating setting called “Limited Profile Discovery” which prevents your profile from being shown to certain people, even if you would otherwise match. For example, limiting profile discovery for coworkers. If you have this enabled, it could prevent you from seeing otherwise compatible matches. Check your discovery settings and consider disabling if you want to see all potential matches.
Strict School Network Preferences
The Facebook Dating settings allow you to indicate whether or not you want to match with people from your own school networks – high school, college, etc. If you indicated no, then any of your schoolmates will not appear as matches, even if you have other similarities. Consider expanding beyond your own former schools if your goal is to maximize potential matches.
One Of You Liked The Other’s Profile
When either person likes the other’s Facebook Dating profile, it will trigger a match if the interest is mutual. However, if one person hasn’t yet discovered and liked the other’s profile, no match will occur yet. Be sure to cast a wide net in liking lots of profiles that appeal to you to help surface more mutual matches. Don’t rely solely on profiles suggested to you – actively look for appealing people.
Not Engaging Frequently Enough
To get the most relevant matches, Facebook Dating needs active participation and engagement from users. Those who check back often, like and comment on profiles, react positively to suggested matches, and actively message matches tend to then see more tailored and accurate match suggestions over time. If you’re not engaging with the app much, the matching capability suffers. Use it more consistently.
Very Small User Base In Your Area
For Facebook Dating to work optimally, there needs to be a critical mass of activated users in your local area from which to match. In very small towns or isolated areas, the total number of people on Facebook Dating may be low to begin with, significantly limiting match potential regardless of your preferences. Unfortunately there’s not much you can do in this case except move, travel more, or hope the user base grows.
Table Summarizing Reasons Why Facebook Dating May Not Show All Matches
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| High standards set | Too many narrow preferences will limit potential matches |
| Algorithm needs time | Matching engine takes time to learn about you before optimal matches appear |
| Swiped left previously | You rejected them already, but they may appear later |
| Don’t meet location preferences | Beyond your set location range so not visible |
| Don’t meet age preferences | Outside your specified age range |
| Have mutual Facebook friends | Hidden intentionally to avoid awkwardness |
| Different relationship statuses | Not listed as single so not visible |
| Haven’t activated Dating | Can’t match unless both activate Dating feature |
| Different sexual orientations | Gay woman won’t see straight men, for example |
| Limited profile discovery settings | Prevent profile visibility to certain people like coworkers |
| Strict school network preferences | Didn’t opt to see schoolmates as potential matches |
| Haven’t liked each other’s profiles | Need mutual liking/interest to trigger match |
| Not engaging frequently enough | Inactive users see fewer optimal matches over time |
| Very small local user base | Not enough users in area for strong match potential |
Tips To See More Of Your Matches
If you feel like you’re not seeing all the potential matches you should on Facebook Dating, here are some tips to increase your match visibility:
- Expand your preferences like age range and location radius
- Don’t reject profiles too quickly – give the algorithm time to find the best fits
- Check your discovery settings and remove any unnecessary limitations
- Browse actively through all Facebook Dating users, don’t rely solely on suggestions
- Like lots of profiles to help surface mutual matches
- Use the app consistently – don’t let it sit idle for too long
- Give positive feedback on matches the algorithm makes to improve it over time
- Encourage your friends to activate Facebook Dating to increase potential matches
- Travel to areas with a larger Facebook Dating user base when possible
Putting effort into engaging actively with Facebook Dating optimizes the experience. The more your sincerely use it, the better the matching capability becomes.
Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Missing Potential Matches
While it can be frustrating to feel like you’re not seeing all possible matches on Facebook Dating, there are a few reasons not to worry about it too much:
- There are likely far more compatible matches still out there for you than you realize, even if some are currently hidden
- Discovering matches is a gradual journey – focus on quality over quantity
- Good matches come with patience as the algorithm learns over time
- You may not be fully ready for a relationship yet anyhow when the right person comes along
- Your perfect match could join Facebook Dating any day now if not there already
- There’s no rush – enjoy seeing matches appear periodically over the long-term
- You only need that one special match, not hundreds of options
The purpose of Facebook Dating is quality over quantity when it comes to matches. It’s designed to find you the right people, even if that means a smaller pool of better suited matches versus endless unsuitable options. Focus less on the volume of matches and more on engaging genuinely with the matches you do have.
Conclusion
Facebook Dating has revolutionized the way people can meet potential partners online by tapping into the rich social graph of Facebook users and data. Yet some users are puzzled when they feel like they aren’t seeing all the matches they should be. Typical causes for hidden matches include overly picky preferences, inactive use of the app, and limitations set intentionally to avoid suggesting friends or coworkers as matches. The matching algorithms also take time to learn before they can be highly effective.
By optimizing your Facebook Dating habits, you can gradually train the matching engine over time to surface more and more suitable partners tailored for you. And remember – you only need one great match, not hundreds, when it comes to finding meaningful relationships. Trust that Facebook Dating is designed to find your best matches, even if takes patience as the technology improves. Stay positive about the experience and keep an open mind, while adopting proactive tips to maximize your match potential.