Facebook Dating

Facebook Dating: Is It Meta’s New Method of Surviving?

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04.02.2025

The digital age has seen more people embrace online dating as individuals seek more profound connections and relationships from their homes. Social media sites have adopted the trend, and one of the most used social networks, Facebook, is not left behind by hosting Facebook Dating.

It is an online dating application launched in 2019. It is an app that allows you to find love through the Facebook application.

The platform has hundreds of millions of active users. Therefore, it is essential to know how it works, its features, and privacy concerns and compare them with other applications.

This article aims to show you an overview of Facebook Dating. In this blog, I will cover topics including the terms of the platform, how it uses your information, who can use this feature on the platform, and other things.

Facebook Dating Terms: What You Should Know Before Using!

Facebook Dating Terms_ What You Should Know Before Using!

Before explaining exactly how Facebook Dating works, some very important key terms should be understood.

These terms define the features of this platform and their interaction with your personal information.

Here are the steps:

Facebook Dating Profile

First, let’s get one thing straight! This is not your regular Facebook profile. You create it only for dating purposes. Yes, you need to create a separate profile!

You can upload photos, write a brief bio, list your interests, and answer prompts to give a potential match more information about you.

Secret Crush

Second, you can choose up to nine Facebook friends or Instagram followers you like. This is the list of your Secret Crushes! Pretty fun right?

And guess what? If they add you back to their list of Secret Crushes, you both get a notification about mutual interest.

Dating feed

Third is your dating feed. This is where you can see your possible matches. But, you need to understand something.

You see, a dating feed differs from your general Facebook feed. This is because it shows the people you could be interested in according to what you share common interests and what you are into.

Events and Groups

It allows you to connect with others who attend the same Facebook events or are members of the same Facebook groups. This creates opportunities to meet people with shared interests.

Video Calls

This dating feature of the platform is making online dating safer, and one way they have done this is by using video calling.

In other words, after matching with someone, you can initiate a video call to get to know them better before meeting in person.

Psst.. You can also have a virtual date if you want to!

Messages

Facebook Dating offers a messaging feature where you can privately chat with matches. However, these messages are kept separate from your main Facebook messages.

Match Suggestions

Finally, the platform will suggest matches based on common interests, groups or events you attended, and other information in your Facebook account, including what you like and what pages you like.

How Facebook Dating Uses Your Information?

How Facebook Dating Uses Your Information_

It operates in the broader ecosystem. So, it is understandable that there are many concerns about how information is used and shared.

Understand how Facebook uses your data on the dating platform and what privacy measures are in place.

Facebook Profile Information

First, creating a dating profile may require some information from your Facebook profile. Additionally, common interests, school and work information, mutual friends, and any events or groups you follow considering.

However, according to Facebook, data from your Dating profile will not appear on your regular Facebook page.

Location Details

Secondly, just like in the case of Tinder and other dating apps, Facebook Dating will use your location to find close matches.

In other words, the application will use a device’s location services to depict people within that range.

Thus, the users’ location becomes important in suggesting and letting other match users see it.

Activity Data

Thirdly, the platform also considers your activities with various Facebook features.

For instance, it takes information from events, groups, and pages you follow, when making match suggestions.

Moreover, this enables the platform to suggest people who share similar interests or activities.

Optional Profile Information

On Facebook Dating, you can fill in more profile information, such as sexual orientation and relationship preferences with other interests; it is solely your discretion to share or not.

Data Protection

Facebook states that it cares about user privacy and security. In Facebook Dating, your data is kept apart from the rest of your activity on Facebook.

Facebook encrypts your private information. However, given the fact that Meta has been involved in a privacy and data leak scandal associated with Cambridge Analytica, I am not so sure how much I would rely.

Still, I would really encourage users to read Facebook’s Privacy Policy and its terms of service to understand better how their data is being treated.

Who Can Use Facebook Dating?

Who Can Use Facebook Dating_

It is available to users who are at least 18 years old. It is not accessible to everyone with a Facebook account, as users must opt in and create a separate dating profile within the app.

Here’s a breakdown of the requirements and limitations for using this feature:

Age Requirement

First, and as I have already mentioned before, this feature is meant for users who are 18 years or older.

The platform requires this age because it wants the platform to be used by individuals legally allowed to engage in dating activities.

Facebook Account

Secondly, since Facebook Dating is a feature within the Facebook app, you must have an active Facebook account to use it. However, you do not need a paid Facebook account, and the dating feature is free.

Accessibility worldwide

Third, Facebook Dating is not accessible in every country. Before using the service, one must check whether it is offered in their region. Thus far, it has become accessible in the U.S., Canada, and more than 20 other countries.

Not Compulsory to Use

Finally, Facebook Dating does not apply to all users. If a person does not want to use the dating feature, they can decide not to create a profile or deal with it.

Differences Between Facebook and Facebook Dating

Differences Between Facebook and Facebook Dating

Although this feature works under the broader scope of Facebook, some points on Facebook and Facebook Dating are quite different. A few of the differences are described below:

Separate Profiles

First, Facebook Dating uses a separate profile from your main Facebook profile. Additionally, your dating profile is created specifically for matchmaking. Your main profile is used for social networking and connecting with friends and family.

Privacy Settings

Secondly, this platform prioritizes privacy in a distinct way from regular Facebook interactions.

For example, your Facebook friends won’t be automatically notified that you’re using Facebook Dating, and your dating activity won’t be posted to your Facebook feed.

Moreover, your dating profile is visible only to people who are using this dating feature.

No Ads

Unlike Facebook, which is filled with targeted ads based on your activity, Facebook Dating contains no ads. Furthermore, you will not find any ads when viewing profiles or talking with matches.

Algorithms Differ

Facebook Dating has a different algorithm than Facebook. It shows you content according to an algorithm involving likes, shares, and comments.

Additionally, it bases its suggestions on who you may want to match with on common interests, events, groups, and mutual friends.

Purpose and Intent

Finally, Facebook is simply a social networking service. It connects people to friends, and thus, people can use the service as an updated venue.

It has Facebook Dating to find relationships. As the name implies, there is only partial overlap—the scope on which Facebook is concentrated is considerably narrow.

What are the Sources of My Proposed Matches on Facebook Dating?

What are the Sources of My Proposed Matches on Facebook Dating_

Those who can be matched by Facebook dating are based on many factors that match your profile and interests.

The following are the main ways this dating feature will determine its Match recommendations for you:

Shared Interests

Firstly, Facebook bases the proposal of a potential match on shared interests, including the pages you follow, events you attend, and groups you are part of. Furthermore, in this way, it is organic to your hobbies or passions.

Friends of Friends

Secondly, Facebook Dating allows you to see potential matches who are friends of your Facebook friends.

This makes the connection look familiar, reducing the uncertainty and awkwardness of connecting with strangers.

Secret Crush

As described above, if you add someone to your Secret Crush list and they add you to theirs, both will be notified, creating a mutual match.

Location

Where you are matters when selecting recommended matches, Facebook Dating uses your location information to help you find people around your location.

Behavioral Data

In addition to the above information, Facebook Dating analyzes your activities on the application, such as who you like, message, or connect with, to find profiles that you will like.   

How Facebook Dating Location Feature?  

How Facebook Dating Uses Your Information_

Facebook Dating uses your device’s location services to suggest matches within a certain geographic area. Here’s how location features work:   

Active Location Tracking  

To use Facebook Dating, your device’s location services need to be enabled. This allows them to show you potential matches in your area.   

Radius Control  

The matches on Facebook Dating seem within a 100-mile radius, but you can select location preferences according to how far you want to connect with people.   

Privacy and Control  

Facebook allows you to control location sharing. For example, you can turn off location sharing, but this limits the potential for match suggestions to be shown to you.  

Match Anywhere: A Promising Feature on Facebook Dating

Match Anywhere_ A Promising Feature on Facebook Dating

Another feature Facebook Dating offers is the Match Anywhere function. This function allows you to connect with others who live anywhere in the world.  

Moreover, this will be very handy if you plan on moving or traveling out of the country or even living in a secluded location. You’ll be able to connect with others from almost everywhere in the world.   

With the Match Anywhere feature on Facebook Dating, you can connect with users outside of the immediate geographic area in which you live.   

If you plan to travel or meet people from other places, this broadens the pool of potential matches you want to select. You can change location settings for matches from other cities, countries, or continents.   

Match Anywhere gives you a more comprehensive dating pool, as it can include people from all walks of life and regions. Besides, this feature is especially useful if you are open to long-distance relationships or looking for matches in a specific city or country.  

Consider Being Matched!   

Facebook Dating is a good alternative for people seeking romantic connections without the headache of third-party dating apps. Its other uniqueness is its features facilitating connections based on mutual interests, events, and shared activities.  

It would be best to understand how this feature of the social media platform uses your information. Who can use it, how do the location features work, and what sets it apart from regular Facebook?   

Whether you’re looking for a causal connection or a long-term relationship. Facebook Dating provides a platform where people can meet, chat, and explore potential romantic opportunities, all within the familiar interface of Facebook.   

With the bonus of privacy settings, data protection, and the ability to meet people anywhere, Facebook Dating is a promising tool in online dating.

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Nabamita Sinha loves to write about lifestyle and pop-culture. In her free time, she loves to watch movies and TV series and experiment with food. Her favorite niche topics are fashion, lifestyle, travel, and gossip content. Her style of writing is creative and quirky.

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