What is Facebook’s dating app, when is it released in the UK and how is it different from Tinder and Bumble?
Mark Zuckerberg said the new dating hub has been built with 'privacy in mind'
LAST year Facebook announced it was creating a dating app, which is due to go live in the UK in "early 2020".
Following the launch of Facebook Dating in America this week, we've rounded up everything we know about the matching making service.
What is Facebook's dating app?
The Facebook dating app is the latest addition to the social media site.
Mark Zuckerberg announced the new service at F8 Developer Conference on May 2 last year and was launched in America in September 2019.
The new feature allows users to build a separate dating app that is hosted within the main site - but promises friends won't see your flirtatious efforts.
Facebook says users will have the option to opt-in and build a dating profile by selecting the heart icon on their profiles.
The heart icon is the link to Facebook's dating hub from the main site, where your saucy messages will remain separate from your main profile.
Zuckerberg has said the app will be about finding "long term relationships, not just hook ups".
When is it released in the UK?
The dating hub says it will release the app in Europe in "early 2020".
It has already launched in 19 countries, including America, Canada, Chile and Singapore.
Key features
- The Secret Crush feature lets you match with people you know on Instagram/Facebook. By default, Facebook won’t match you with your Facebook friends but the Secret Crush feature gives users the opportunity to do just that.
- Add Instagram posts to your Facebook Dating profile. To help show potential partners different aspects of your life.
- Share your live date location with a friend on Messenger. This feature is designed to help make users feel safer when meeting a date.
- Find people with similar interests with Events and Groups. Facebook says: “You can choose to see other people who are using Facebook Dating that fit your preferences within the groups you are part of and the events you have attended or will be attending. When you choose to see these people, you will also be visible to them."
How is it different from Tinder and Bumble?
Both Tinder and Bumble rely on Facebook's user data to power their matches which creates the impression the new site won't be that different.
In fact the dating hubs interface looks very similar to the two successful apps with a similar accept and reject set up.
Unlike it's predecessors, Facebook's new feature will have access to all of the data stored on the social media site - but will only use first names for the dating profile.
This means the dating hub will be able to create matches based on events both users are going to, or interested in, and even places they like to visit.
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Users will also have a feature called "unlocking" which will make their dating profile visible to other attendees of events or members of groups.
The dating hub has a built in safety feature which only allows text based messages to be sent between new matches at first and dating messages will be kept separate from messenger.
It will also use an algorithm to make sure you don't accidentally match with someone already on your friends list.