If you don’t see the Facebook Dating option in your Facebook app, there are a few possible reasons why it may not be available to you yet.
Quick Answer
The most common reasons why someone may not have access to Facebook Dating include:
- Facebook Dating hasn’t fully rolled out yet – It’s still in the process of launching globally
- Your age or location – Facebook Dating has age and country restrictions
- Your relationship status – You must list yourself as ‘single’ to use Dating
- Your account settings – Make sure you’ve enabled the discovery settings
Facebook Dating Isn’t Fully Rolled Out Yet
One of the most common reasons why people don’t have access to Facebook Dating yet is that it hasn’t fully rolled out globally. Here’s a quick timeline of the Facebook Dating launch:
- Launched September 2018 in Colombia
- Expanded to Canada and Thailand in October 2018
- Launched in Mexico, Argentina, and 14 other countries in May 2019
- Launched in the United States in September 2019
- Expansion to Europe began in October 2020
As you can see, Facebook has been gradually rolling out the Dating feature over the past few years. It’s currently available in around 50 countries, but hasn’t reached worldwide availability yet.
Facebook has said they plan to eventually launch Dating globally, but they haven’t provided an exact timeframe. If Dating isn’t available in your country yet, all you can do is wait until Facebook formally launches it there.
Age and Location Restrictions
In order to use Facebook Dating, you must meet certain age and location requirements:
- Age – You must be at least 18 years old to access Dating.
- Location – Dating is only available in countries where Facebook has launched the feature.
So if you are under 18, or live in a country where Dating hasn’t launched, you won’t have access. Here are some of the main countries where it’s currently available:
| Countries Where Facebook Dating is Available |
|---|
| Canada |
| Mexico |
| Argentina |
| Brazil |
| Chile |
| Peru |
| Ecuador |
| Paraguay |
| Uruguay |
| Bolivia |
| Guatemala |
| Honduras |
| El Salvador |
| Costa Rica |
| Panama |
| Dominican Republic |
| Colombia |
| Thailand |
| Vietnam |
| Singapore |
| Philippines |
| Malaysia |
| Laos |
| Cambodia |
| United States |
So if you aren’t located in one of the above areas, you’ll have to wait until Facebook rolls out Dating to your country.
Relationship Status Must Be ‘Single’
Another requirement for accessing Facebook Dating is that your relationship status must be listed as “Single”. Here are the rules around relationship status and Dating:
- Your relationship status must be set to “Single” or “Divorced”.
- You cannot access Dating if your relationship status is “In a Relationship”, “Engaged”, “Married”, etc.
- Facebook allows people to select from a wide range of relationship statuses, but most partnered statuses aren’t compatible with Dating.
This requirement is in place because Facebook Dating is focused on helping people make romantic connections. If your Facebook profile indicates you are in a relationship or married, Facebook assumes you aren’t looking to meet new dating partners.
So if you want access to Dating, be sure to update your Facebook relationship status and list yourself as “Single”. Keep in mind that this change will be visible to your Facebook friends and profile visitors.
Enable Discovery Settings
In order for Dating to work properly, you need to enable some discovery settings in Facebook. Here are the steps:
- Go to your Facebook Settings Menu
- Click on “Discovery Settings”
- Make sure “See Me on Dating” is enabled
- Confirm that “See Who Views Your Profile” is enabled
With these discovery settings enabled, other dating users will be able to find and view your profile when considering matches. Disabling these settings means you won’t show up for others in Dating.
So if Dating hasn’t appeared yet, double check that you have discovery properly configured. The settings are located in the main Facebook app under Menu > Settings & Privacy > Discovery Settings.
Update Your Facebook App
In some cases, Facebook Dating may not show up simply because your Facebook app is out of date and needs to be updated:
- Go to the App Store if you use an iPhone.
- Go to Google Play if you use an Android.
- Download the latest version of the Facebook app.
- The update may enable dormant features like Dating.
Facebook is continually rolling out new features, so you want to keep your app up to date. Once you’ve downloaded the latest version, check again to see if Dating is available.
Clear App Cache and Data
Some users have reported that clearing cached data for the Facebook app helped Dating appear for them. Here are the basic steps:
- Go to your phone Settings
- Open the Apps/Application Manager
- Select the Facebook App
- Choose “Storage” or “Storage & Cache”
- Tap “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data”
This basically refreshes the app and removes any corrupted data that could be preventing Dating from loading properly. After clearing cache/data, reopen Facebook and see if Dating shows up.
Log Out and Log Back In
If all else fails, try fully logging out of the Facebook app and then logging back in. This resets everything and forces the app to reload properly when you sign in.
- Open the Facebook app
- Go to Settings
- Choose “Log Out”
- Close the app entirely
- Reopen Facebook app
- Enter your login details and sign in
This log out process clears any stuck loading issues. Once you sign back in, check your shortcuts menu for the Dating option. This trick has helped people previously stuck waiting for Dating to load.
Use Facebook On Your Desktop
As a workaround, you can access Facebook Dating through your desktop computer, even if it’s not showing on mobile:
- Go to www.facebook.com on your PC browser
- Log into your Facebook account
- Click the shortcut icon that looks like a heart
- This will bring you to the Facebook Dating page
While not ideal, using the desktop site allows you to access Dating until the mobile app starts working. You can still use Dating to view profiles, match, and message potential partners.
Use a VPN to Change Locations
If Dating isn’t available in your country, a VPN lets you virtually change locations to access it:
- Download a VPN app like ExpressVPN or NordVPN
- Connect to a server located where Dating is available
- Refresh your Facebook app
- You should now see the Dating option
By masking your real location, the VPN tricks Facebook into thinking you are in an authorized Dating country. This unblocks the feature, but keep in mind Facebook discourages using VPNs this way.
Create a New Test Account
Troubleshooting tip – try creating a whole new Facebook account and see if Dating shows up:
- Open Facebook and sign up for a new account
- Enter new login details different from your real account
- Complete the sign up process
- When prompted, indicate you are Single
- Check the shortcuts menu for the Dating option
By starting fresh, you can test if Dating appears for a brand new account. If it does show up, the issue lies with your main account. But if Dating doesn’t appear on the fresh account either, the feature simply hasn’t reached your location.
Contact Facebook Support
If you’ve tried all troubleshooting tips and Dating still doesn’t appear, reach out directly to Facebook Support:
- In the Facebook app, go to Menu > Help & Support
- Click “Report a Problem” and select “Facebook Dating”
- Explain Dating isn’t showing up and you’ve tried troubleshooting
- Request further help accessing the Dating feature
Facebook’s support team may be able to resolve the issue or provide specific guidance based on your account access. Reaching out to them directly can help troubleshoot unique cases.
Wait for Broader Rollout
If you are under 18, live in an unsupported country, or have a partnered relationship status – the only option is to wait until Facebook Dating formally launches in your area and for your situation.
As Facebook continues expanding Dating globally and adding new features, it should eventually become available to more people and demographics. But the full worldwide rollout may take years to complete.
Until then, you unfortunately don’t have much choice other than to wait for Dating to launch in your region and fit your case. But be patient, as Facebook is clearly committed to expanding Dating over time.
Use an Alternative Dating App
If the wait for Facebook Dating is too long, consider using a different dating app in the meantime:
| Top Dating Apps |
|---|
| Tinder |
| Bumble |
| Hinge |
| OkCupid |
| Badoo |
| Plenty of Fish |
| Match |
| Zoosk |
| Elite Singles |
| HER (LGBTQ+ dating) |
| Grindr (LGBTQ+ dating) |
All the apps above have millions of users, are well-established, and offer a dating experience similar to Facebook Dating. Downloading a few different options is a good hedge until Dating fully launches in your area.
Conclusion
Not having access to Facebook Dating can certainly be frustrating, especially if your friends already use it and enjoy the experience. But hopefully understanding the main limitations around age, geography, relationship status, and staged rollout will help explain why it may not be on your version of Facebook yet.
Be patient and try the troubleshooting tips listed above to see if you can trigger Dating to appear. But if you ultimately have to wait until Facebook expands Dating to your situation, considering alternative dating apps is your best bet in the meantime.