Finding love has changed through the years. It has evolved along with society’s standards and way of life, and now it has reached the digital age. Online dating is a new and fast-paced way of meeting The One. And one such avenue is Facebook Dating.
With almost everybody glued to their phones, the search has become difficult. Especially with apps overwhelming your screen space and peripheral vision. So, in honor of the long tradition of dating, technology has brought the search to your screen — front and center. Now, Facebook wants in on the love with the launch of Facebook Dating.
What Is Facebook Dating?
Social media giant Facebook has been connecting people since 2004. It has revolutionized the way people socialize, helping people connect more and more. People have been Facebook friends with more people than they actually know! And now, Facebook is using its platform to take your relationship status to the next level.
Facebook Dating is Facebook’s free dating service, which is already built into the mobile app itself. Dating can be activated by Facebook users who are 18 years old and above. According to Facebook, dating profiles will be entirely separate from their main Facebook account despite being in the same app.
How Does Facebook Dating Work?
Facebook Dating isn’t like other dating apps where you swipe left and right on people’s profiles. If you see someone you like, you can comment on their profile or hit them a Like to let them know right away.
Facebook Dating will recommend profiles one at a time and you can further check their profile by scrolling down. You can react by tapping the heart button to let them know you’re interested or the X button to pass. When both of you tap the heart button, then you can start a conversation and see if sparks fly. Facebook Dating aims to present you with potential matches based on your Facebook activity. Your likes, interests, events, and groups are the many things Dating considers when curating a list of people, so you can start meaningful relationships right off the bat.
For example, it can match you with people who attended the same alma mater as you, even though you didn’t specify it on your Dating profile. Have you been liking puppy pictures on your Facebook feed lately? Well, prepare for fellow dog lovers in your matches too!
Now, Facebook is known for not having the best track record on privacy and data. Giving Zuckerberg more access to your data might be unsettling at first. But if you want to really try your matchmaking luck, then it’s a price you have to pay. Although, with your data, Facebook Dating will create a more fitting list of matches for your profile.
How to Sign Up for Facebook Dating
Signing up for Facebook Dating is easy especially if you already have a Facebook account. There’s no need to download a standalone app to access the dating service. Here’s a step-by-step to activate your Facebook Dating profile:
- Sign in to your Facebook mobile app.
- Go to the main menu on your Facebook account by tapping on the three-line icon in the top-right corner of your feed.
- Tap Dating or the heart-shaped button.
- Follow the prompts and set your preferences.
- Share your location and choose a photo for your Dating profile.
After doing all these steps, you can customize your profile by adding more photos or information you want to impress your potential matches with.
Facebook Dating Features
There’s a lot of tried-and-tested dating apps right now, with success stories straight out of a 2000s romantic comedy. So, what makes Facebook Dating different? Do you really need another dating app to announce your singleness with? Yes!—I mean, why not? There’s nothing wrong with putting yourself out there. All you need is just the right dating app to help you find what you’re looking for.
Facebook Dating has unique features most dating apps don’t offer. These features just might be the tools you need to help you with your search.
Secret Crush
Facebook tries very hard to keep your Facebook account separate from your Dating profile, so they don’t put friends on your match list. However, if you want to take a leap and finally check if there’s more to your friendship, Facebook Dating has your back.
Facebook Dating gives you the option to possibly match with your Facebook friends and Instagram followers with the Secret Crush feature.
You can add up to nine people to your Secret Crush list, and if they’re on Facebook Dating, they will be notified someone has a crush on them. Don’t worry, they won’t know it was you if they don’t reciprocate. The identities will only be revealed if they add you to their Secret Crush list as well, and then it’s a match!
Facebook Dating allows you to add and remove people on your Secret Crush list any time you want.
Second Look
Have you ever had that moment of instant regret when you accidentally swiped left on a person because you were in such a rush swiping left and right? Well, with Facebook Dating’s Second Look, you get a second chance! He gets a second chance! Everybody gets a second chance!
Second Look is one of the most ingenious features Facebook Dating has to offer, and other dating apps ought to take notes. Second Look allows you to take a moment and reflect on your snap decisions of tapping X on a person on your dating feed.
You can access the list of people you passed on by going to the general settings and tapping on Second Look on your Facebook Dating profile.
Take a Break
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the potential matches in your dating feed, Facebook Dating allows you to take a breather.
When you tap on Take a Break on your settings, Dating will freeze the matching process. Facebook Dating will no longer suggest your profile to any users nor will it present you with new profiles in your feed.
With this feature, Facebook Dating enables you to focus on communicating with your current matches and get to know them better.
Connecting Instagram
Social media plays a major role in online dating. It provides insights to people as to what your life is like and what type of person you are, which is key to online dating. Especially now, when meeting in real life can be risky with a pandemic looming above our very existence.
Facebook Dating, aside from being integrated into a social media app itself, connects Instagram to your dating profile. You can add Instagram stories and posts to give your Dating profile an edge or interesting conversation starters.
Facebook Dating Block Settings
Facebook Dating attempts to give you the most control in the profiles you see on your dating feed. With its unique block settings, you can customize a list of people you want to avoid. This allows you to have matches that are really outside your circle and meet new people.
However, if you are interested in matching with friends of friends, go to Facebook Dating Privacy Settings. You can tap on the switch next to “Suggest friends of friends” to turn on the setting.
Social Distancing With Facebook Dating
It’s crucial that your dating app has social distancing-friendly features to keep you and your match safe.
With Facebook Dating, you can still adhere to social distancing protocols by going on a virtual date with your match. You can put your vibe check a step further by inviting them to a video chat. If they accept the invitation, a video call will start via the Messenger app.
The video chat feature was recently introduced by Facebook Dating to help your search safer for you and the community. This shows Facebook can adapt to unexpected turns of events and still bring their matchmaking service to their users.
Pros and Cons of Facebook Dating
What We Like
Free & Accessible
With Facebook Dating, you won’t have the hassle of downloading another app. The dating service is fully integrated with Facebook’s mobile app. You can forget about receiving any additional pesky push notifications from another dating app.
Plus, Facebook Dating is free! Unlike many of its competitors that offer premium subscription plans, you can access all of Dating’s features just by signing up. It also has a sleek and modern interface that is easy to use. It’s just like Facebook, but for dating! This is a plus for older people who are not good at navigating dating apps but use Facebook. Facebook Dating’s user interface sports its mother app’s likeness.
No Shame
You can avoid awkward encounters with Facebook Dating. No more running into your exes, friends of friends, or relatives when you’re searching for a potential partner.
What We Don’t Like
Must Have a Facebook Account
Facebook Dating does have Facebook in its name so it’s imperative you have a Facebook account too. If you’re the person who abhors social media, then you’ll have to step out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there — virtually.
Restriction of Media Sending
Facebook Dating’s chatbox only allows you to send texts. If you speak in memes and gifs, Facebook Dating might not be the dating app for you.
In a bid to completely separate Dating from regular Facebook, they made a modified messenger just for Facebook Dating. However, they don’t allow matches to send photos or videos to each other. This is to keep the conversation respectable and free from “accidental” dork pics.
Facebook Has Your Data
Facebook will have more of your data. When you activate your Facebook Dating, you’ll need to give more intimate details about your life, so they line up better people in your dating feed.
Small Dating Pool
The single crowd in Facebook Dating is smaller. Facebook’s dating service has only been launched and has entered pretty late in the game. Most of the single demographic prefer the tried and tested dating apps when it comes to finding love.
Facebook Dating Alternatives
Facebook Dating is relatively new in the dating industry, but Facebook has been at the forefront of connecting people. So, the service might not be starting from scratch. But, how exactly does it stack up against its competitors?
Tinder
Tinder might be the most popular dating app in the business right now. This dating app appeals to the younger generation who are in it for something short-term and pure fun. Millennials and Gen Z prefer using Tinder because of its modern interface and larger user base.
Tinder started a cultural shift with their swipe right and left system, which most dating apps copied. It gave the single minority a convenient way to swipe through the dating world. With Tinder, you match, chat, and meet your new fella in no time.
Tinder offers three subscription tiers in their app: Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum.
Bumble
Bumble is another well-revered dating app that has been making serious waves in dating. Its unique feature is letting the women do the first move after matching, Sadie Hawkins-style.
Bumble has not only changed the dynamics of heterosexual dating but also provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ to find partners. This dating app has safety and respect at the forefront of its platform, not just for women, but for all genders. It encourages users to go through their verification process to ensure a safer interaction with matches.
The dating app allows you to connect your Spotify account to your dating profile to give you more than one way to connect with your match.
Bumble also offers premium plans to those who are serious about their search in the beehive. You can unlock more features with Bumble Boost for $9.99 and Bumble Premium for $22.99.
Hinge
Unlike most dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, Hinge makes it its mission to end the mindless swiping of right and left. Hinge prides itself to be the dating app that is designed to be deleted.
Just like in Facebook Dating, Hinge encourages you to further read and engage with the profiles in your dating feed instead of swiping just based on their photos. You also don’t need to match with the person before starting a conversation. Hinge is good for people who know how to curate an aesthetically pleasing profile. Some users describe Hinge as the Instagram of dating apps. You can customize what your profile looks like and play between text and photos.
Your information is divided into three V categories on Hinge: Virtues, Vitals, and Vices. It gives your potential dates a more in-depth look into what you’re like.
With Hinge, you can get a premium subscription for $19.99, which is good for a month of finding matches.
Match
One of the OGs in online dating is Match. It has been the longest-running dating site, and it takes its matchmaking process very seriously. Match does not allow half-hearted profiles on their site.
So, if you’re setting up an account with Match, make sure you’re emotionally, mentally, and financially prepared. Yes, you read that right. Match does have a free membership, but it only allows you to check out the people in their matching pool. On Match, if you want to play, you must pay. Before any connection is made you must subscribe to one of their plans, you can pay $35.99 for a month if you really want to pursue your person.
Match is perfect for people who are serious about their search for The One and want something long-term. This dating app weeds out the singles who aren’t ready for a commitment from the very start with their premium and standard plans.
Final Word on Facebook Dating
Ever since you finally understood the context of happily-ever-afters, you have been on the constant search for “The One.” But the search has been anything but easy.
Facebook Dating might raise some privacy concerns, but it uses its vast user base to scour the Earth and find you that perfect match for free, which is more than any other apps can offer. However, Facebook is infamous for its mishmash of users — you just don’t know what you’ll get.
We’re not sure how Facebook Dating will progress in time, but it has the makings of a good dating app. If you’re in it for the long haul, maybe go for something with more matchmaking success — you can check out our list of the best dating sites. But, if you want one app that can do all your socializing for you, from interacting with relatives and friends to virtual dating, then, by all means, try Facebook Dating.
There is always a pro and con to Facebook, but connecting to the right people and possibly meeting The One might just be worth the risk. After all, finding love is always a risk.
