Facebook Adds New Dating Features

Will Facebook be the new Tinder? Not exactly, but it is adding dating features to its mobile app. While Facebook users have always had the option to advertise the fact that they are single to friends, they will now have the option to use the world’s biggest social network to help them change their relationship status.

Upon release of this news, the stock of Match Group, the corporation behind OKCupid and Tinder, dropped by over 17%.

According to Facebook founder Marc Zuckerburg, Facebook’s matchmaking features will be geared not towards “hook-ups,” but focusing on helping users to find long-term relationships. And in case users may be concerned that they might be broadcasting their use of the new dating service to everyone they know, Zuckerburg reassures us that use of the app will not be posted to regular Facebook profiles. A separate profile will be created for the dating side of the site. Also, users will not be matched with their own friend. Facebook will also not reveal the relationship status of a person’s regular Facebook account to those using the dating site, so buyer beware.


One feature of the site is the ability to link the Facebook events and groups features with the dating site. Users will be able to “unlock” their dating profiles on their events and groups features, so people they have connected with on the dating site will be able see if they are both moving in any of the same circles.

Users of Facebook’s dating app will have their own space to chat, which will be entirely separate from Facebook Messenger.

More information about Facebook’s matchmaking services will be available later this year, after a test phase of the app is completed.