Earlier this year at its F8 conference, Facebook showed off its new ‘Dating’ service that it will use to compete with Tinder and Match. Now, TechCrunch is offering up some more details on the service, which will actually be baked into the main Facebook app rather than a standalone app…
TechCrunch explains that once you opt-in to Facebook Dating, the only people who will be able to see your profile are those who have also enabled the feature. You’ll also be able to access exclusive Groups and Events if you opt-in to Facebook Dating:
You can choose if friends of friends can see you or not, and Dating profiles allow non-binary and transgender and orientation options. You’ll unlock Groups or Events you’re a part of for Dating, and you’ll be able to browse potential matches based on the plethora of info Facebook knows about you. If two people express interest in each other (no swiping), they can text each other over Messenger or WhatsApp.
Furthermore, the report explains that Facebook is planning to limit how many people you can express interest in on the platform. This would ideally help reduce spam-like behavior where people express interest in everyone they come across.
While some services offer additional “matches/swipes,” Facebook currently has no plans to do so, the company told TechCrunch. The service will be open to users who are 18 years or older, and will “abide by local laws on who is considered an adult.”
Perhaps most notably, Facebook does not plan for Dating to be a standalone app – at least yet. While Facebook has not been shy about breaking popular features out of its main app into their own apps, Dating will begin within the primary Facebook app itself. At this point, there’s no planned release for Dating, but Facebook is currently testing it internally.
For now Facebook is taking careful steps toward Dating. It’s not blitzing into the market with a big flashy app. Instead it’s hoping the feature could create the meaningful relationships that make people appreciate Facebook and stick with it over the years. That’s more important than ever with all its recent troubles.
What do you think of Facebook’s plan to add its Dating service to the main Facebook app? Let us know down in the comments!
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