Facebook is all set with its new Facebook dating feature!

The recent scandal reveals that Facebook indeed has more data about us than any other app. Takin this information on a lighter note, can it be put to our benefit? The answer is yes! Facebook is all set to take on a new sphere altogether and beat the dating app giant, Tinder.  Now, you will be able to “officially” use Facebook as a dating app. This announcement was made by the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, during the F8 conference. It will match you with other non-friend profiles whom you have several common interests. The fact that it has the most data about you can be hilariously put to good use here by showing you the most relevant matches. The testing of this exciting feature will start later this year.

The common interests that Facebook is going to pick up on while recommending you dates are dating preferences, things in common, mutual friends etc. You will also have the option to discover more people like you through groups and events.

Here’s a step-by-step process of how Facebook dating will work:

1. Firstly, you can opt to create a profile by using just your first name. This way, it will not be visible to your friends or users who are not on the dating app or even pop up embarrassingly on your news feed.
2. All of us go to several events in the week and have at least one passion or hobby that connects us with other people. Just browse through the “Groups” or “Events” option. Among the options, you are free to “unlock” any event that you wish to for dating. Post selection you will be able to see the profiles of other users who have utilized their power to “unlock” the dating option in this event just like you.
3. Now, you have the power to unlock the most significant reservoir of a person’s personality. You can browse through their profiles and see their posts and photos. This feature will help you in understanding just what sort of a person are you getting involved with.
4. If you both are interested, then much like tinder you can chat on, build connections, go on dates and thank Facebook later. You don’t need to worry. Facebook is not going to use the message box of Messenger or WhatsApp for this purpose. The service will restrict itself to only text for now, and you cannot share pictures with each other to ensure your safety,

 

It is the 21st century. Tons of marriages started from a friend request. This initiative is indeed a goldmine for Facebook to invest in and long-term harbour relationship making services. This platform can be different from apps like Tinder which have promoted the culture of quick hookups with no in-depth connections among individuals. The trend of Tinder being in danger is already reflected by the decrease in Match’s share by 17% right from the announcement of Facebook to enter into the world of dating.

However, several questions remain unanswered. How successful will Facebook be in separating the dating profiles of people from their social networking profiles? Every bad experience is bound to tarnish the reputation of Facebook which is already knee-deep in trouble. Despite all speculations, Chris Cox has a firm belief in the ability of Facebook to emerge as a robust dating platform because of the bevvy of data it has on individuals and its unarguable ubiquity.

Facebook is all set to make its initiative the most talked about innovation in the field of dating. Just like its social networking site, it plans to build its dating site completely free of cost, unlike tinder which is infamous for rolling out premium plans quite often. However, the CEO of Match, Mandy Ginsberg says he is pretty “flattered” by this move of Facebook. He even went on to say that he appreciates the courage of Facebook to venture into this territory provided the heaps of personal and sensitive data that comes attached to this sphere. Mandy continued by saying that Tinder will continue its relentless efforts in the field of match-making. He even claimed that no one understood the category better than Tinder.

The primary focus of Facebook while boosting the applicability of this dating platform will be to keep it as real as possible. By giving people an opportunity to find partners through groups/events, it is indeed trying to replicate the process in daily life. We often meet our prospective partners either through mutual friends or in groups or events.

This new feature that Mark Zuckerberg announced in the F8 conference will soon feature on the mobile app was a predictable development since Facebook has allowed its users to publicise their relationship status from 2004 itself. Facebook has over 2.2 billion monthly active users, and with its new venture, the number will only grow.

The profiles will look pretty similar to other dating apps like Tinder and will have full page profile photos. However, it will still have a very community-oriented outlook with a focus on the privacy of individuals.

Facebook is no way interested in interested in restricting the access to the app to only the people who have classified themselves as single. Everyone no matter whether they have put their relationship status as “in a relationship”, “married” or “single” will be able to utilise the dating site. By not restricting its reach to the users who have classified their relationship status as “single”, Facebook aims to eliminate bias and even inculcate open relationships and other non-polygamous forms of commitments in the criteria.

If you are already excited about “dating” after reading this article, you will have to wait a little longer because Facebook will only launch it after successful completion of its testing which is scheduled to begin by the end of this year.