Facebook wants to help you find love, launching a brand new dating app that will no doubt put the likes of Tinder and Bumble on notice.
Facebook Dating has been in the pipeline for some time now, first announced by company CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg in May 2018.
More than a year later and it has arrived, now available in the US as well as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Suriname, Thailand, Uruguay, and Vietnam.
There are plans to continue expanding globally.
As was the case when it was first announced, Facebook says Dating is about helping users find “meaningful relationships”.
Facebook Dating is entirely opt-in and only available for users over the age of 18.
“Facebook Dating isn’t about swiping or having to wait for someone to like you to get a first chance at reaching out,” said Facebook Dating product manager Nathan Sharp.
“If you are interested in someone, you can comment directly on their profile or tap on the Like button to let them know.”
Amongst the features on the new app is the ‘Secret Crush’ list, where users can anonymously add up to nine Instagram followers or Facebook friends they are interested in “exploring potential romantic relationships” with.
If the crush has opted in to Facebook dating they will be notified that someone has listed them as a potential interest (not specifically who the person is, however).
If the crush adds the other person to their own Secret Crush list, it then becomes a match.
It will also be easy for daters to add their Instagram posts to their profile to create a better dating profile.
