Facebook's new Dating feature lets you go from 'like' to love
Are you looking for more than “friends” on Facebook?
The social media giant launched its new dating service, Facebook Dating, on Thursday.
Users who opt in — and who’ve downloaded the most recent version of Facebook’s app and are 18 or older — will be able to create a separate dating profile and reach out to other Facebook Dating users, the company announced.
“Facebook Dating isn’t about swiping or having to wait for someone to like you to get a first chance at reaching out,” the company said in its announcement. “If you are interested in someone, you can comment directly on their profile or tap on the Like button to let them know. If you aren’t interested, you can pass on them.”
Users will be able to match with friends of friends as well as people not in the same friend circle. The app won’t match users with friends unless they both add each other with the “secret crush” feature.
Facebook Dating will show users to each other who are members of similar groups or attend similar events.
As a safety feature, the app will let users going on a date share the details of the meetup or their live location with someone they trust via Facebook’s Messenger app.
Instagram users on Facebook Dating will be able to connect their posts directly into their new dating profile.
Facebook launched the service in 20 countries so far, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and parts of South America and Asia. It’s due to launch in Europe by early 2020.
Privacy has been a tough issue for Facebook lately. Just this week, records from 419 million accounts were found online and unprotected. In its announcement about Facebook Dating, the company emphasized that the product will have safety, security and privacy protections built in.
This undated product image provided by Facebook shows screenshots of Facebook Dating, a mobile-only matchmaking service. On Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, the service will launch in the U.S. (Facebook via AP)