Facebook Dating service was officially launched in Columbia. It aims to take over the major dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, Match, etc. The feature was announced in the F8 Developer Conference back in May this year by Mark Zuckerberg. This online dating feature allows users to create a dating profile from their Facebook profile. The matches will be based on the dating preference, mutual friends and things in common. It is also mentioned that the Facebook profile and the dating profile will be separate. The dating feature has been built keeping privacy and security in mind.
Also, back then Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg had mentioned at the F8 developer conference that the new feature is “not just for hookups” but to build “meaningful, long-term relationships.”
“We wanted to make it apparent these are people you’re considering. It’s not just a profile,” Nathan Sharp, product manager for Facebook dating, said in an interview last week. “This should be about relationships, not one-night stands.”
So How does the Facebook Dating works?
If you’re from the South American nation, you will see a notice at the top of the news feed to select into the dating feature. Facebook will ask you to verify your location using your device and include subtle elements, for example, a freestyle bio, occupation, instruction, religion, and tallness. Gratefully, it lets you choose non-binary genders and sexual orientations.
You can then add photos from Facebook and Instagram and answer up to 20 questions like “What does your perfect day look like?” or “What song always makes you sing along?”
Also, there is no swiping left or right to like or reject potential matches unlike competitors Tinder or Bumble. Instead, the user will need to scroll down through a person’s profile and tap if he/she is interested.
After you create your profile, you can choose preferences for matches like distance (limited to 100km), religion and height. Once everything is set up, you will see your suggested matches on the dating service home screen. You will only see friends-of-friends or total strangers as suggested matches; friends or blocked people won’t appear in the list.
Additionally, the users will have the option to discover others with similar interests through their Groups or Events. So that users can find even more prospective matches. However, what people do within the Facebook Dating feature will not be shown to their friends.
Facebook said that at the moment the service will be only available in its mobile apps and the messages will live in a separate dating inbox. It added that there currently aren’t any plans to build a standalone app for this service or to integrate it into Messenger.
If Facebook’s Dating feature is able to make an impact on its users, then it could pose a great threat to major dating apps, such as Tinder, Bumble and Match.