Now, you can find the love of your life and build a meaningful relationship without involving yourself in the tedious task of creating a separate dating profile.

And all the thanks go to Facebook, the social media giant that connects millions of people all across the globe. At its 2018 F8 Developer Conference, Facebook announced the new dating service – Facebook Dating.

Launched in the U.S. and built right into the site, Facebook Dating links users (who are 18 or 18+) with potential matches based on location, mutual friends, preferences, groups, events attended, etc.

As mentioned in the F8 Developer Conference, “We’re building a feature for dating and relationships within the Facebook app. People already use Facebook to meet new people, and we want to make that experience better.”

But many are skeptical, as a company mired by so many privacy scandals, can be trusted with helping users with their journey of finding love.

Jason Kelley, a digital strategist at online privacy non-profit, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said:

“If you’re trying to avoid dating services that have red flags, you can’t find one that has more red flags than Facebook.”

He further added, “they have a terrible track record of keeping user data safe.”

When asked about the most dating apps, Charmaine Hung, a Dating Product Manager at Facebook, said: “People are forced to decide on this one profile that never changes and is extremely curated.” The social network aims to build a more dynamic and authentic experience for the users.

Will this new feature of Facebook be able to meet the expectations of users? Can Facebook get back the lost glory with this feature? All these are still not clear, but if you are curious about Facebook’s new journey into the world of online dating, here’s everything that you should know:

How to Get Started?

To access Facebook dating, you’ll need to download the latest version of the Facebook application. The dating feature is built into it.

One can access it from the hamburger menu icon in the lower right-hand corner; click on that and then scroll down. Right below Events, you will find “Dating” with a heart logo.

Once you are opted-in, Facebook will ask you to fill out a profile, just like the profiles on Hinge, Tinder, and Bumble.

Separate from the regular Facebook profile, this profile will ask you to select who you want to date (men, women, trans men, trans women, and non-binary people are options), preferred height, an age range, religious views, etc.

Moreover, you can add photos from your existing Facebook profile to your Dating profile. The social media giant will also suggest you to “describe yourself in three sentences, three words, or three emojis.”

How to Find People Who can Like & Message you on Facebook Dating?

On Facebook Dating, you will find “liked you” and “conversations” tabs at the top of the home screen. Here, you will find the people who liked you, as well as your conversations with your matches.

Separate from Facebook Messenger, the conversions on Facebook Dating will live in their separate inbox.

You can also match with your existing Facebook friends through the ‘Secret Crush‘ feature that is a great relief for the users.

Related: Facebook’s New Cryptocurrency ‘Libra’

How to use the “Secret Crush” Feature in Facebook Dating?

An Instagram-integrated ‘Secret Crush’ feature will let users carry a torch for people that they know. To use it, you select Secret Crush on the Dating home screen, and then add existing Facebook friends to your crush list.

If they also choose you as their crush, the app will notify both the parties of a match. You can add up to nine crushes at a time and also remove people whenever you wish to.

A feature like Secret Crush is not new into the world of online dating. Apps like Bumble also inform you when people like you, and show you blurred-out avatars to entice you to find out who is behind the blurs.

However, the proposition that online daters need to place their faith in Facebook has earned abrupt skepticism. “lol I can’t think of anything I would trust Facebook to not accidentally reveal less” tweeted Slate writer Ashley Feinberg on the Secret Crush feature.

What about the Privacy on Facebook Dating?

When you create a profile on Facebook Dating, the apps will make you agree to its terms and conditions. “Your Dating profile is visible to anyone in Dating.”, the app states. “Your first name, age, and photos are always available on your Dating profile.”

Moreover, the app states that “your Dating profile can be seen by anyone who joins Dating, except your current Facebook friends and anyone you’ve blocked.”

But for a good reason, users may hesitate to give more data to Facebook. Regarding the privacy of Facebook Dating, Kelley said:

“Facebook says the dating service is secure, but how do we know it won’t realize a few years from now it was not as protected as it thought?”

He further added, “It gives us pause when things they have changed years ago are still being shown to cause problems in terms of data privacy.”

Although Facebook is not selling your dating data to any third party companies as of today, you can’t completely deny the possibility. And, you should be careful while using the app.

Will Facebook Dating Find Love in the United States?

Facebook Dating can be a significant boon for the social network as it will offer a treasure trove of information about how people connect to Facebook that could be thriving for its advertising business in the future.

But for now, the company has not yet revealed such plans.

Even though it does not inform advertising, dating may prove advantageous in other ways.

No matter what your age is (actually it’s 18+), checking out your latest equivalent, giving a makeover to your dating profile, checking whether your crush likes you back – these are some of the powerful boosters that will escalate engagement.

Along with the US, Facebook Dating is available in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Laos, Peru, Chile, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Uruguay, Suriname, and Vietnam.

But if you are in Europe, you’ll have to wait until early 2020.

What do you think? Would you like to add something more? Feel free to share your thought in the comment section below.

References:

It’s Facebook Official, Dating Is Here
Facebook Dating Is Now Available in the US. Here’s How It Works
Should you trust Facebook with your secret crush?