But, that’s not true, as I’m sure you and I both know people (perhaps yourself!) who don’t. Though being on dating apps may seem like the norm, that’s not the case with everybody — people meet partners in real life all the time. For instance, I did Appless April, Bustle’s challenge to take delete your dating apps for a month and ended up loving it. After all, meeting future dates in person, without the help of an app, is natural and faster — you omit all the back-and-forth, the matches who just want to be pen-pals, the matches who ghost… As a single person who has used dating apps like Hinge and Bumble, I was curious about Facebook Dating—admittedly, because I figured it would have a short shelf life.

You can hit the next icon to skip this, since we’re not intending to actually populate this account with any friends. The page after this will be your new homepage, where Facebook will again be asking you to add friends through your email, your phone number, or through recommendations. Since Facebook owns Instagram, Facebook Dating allows you to embed your own Instagram posts into your profile. This is a great feature for showing off who you are and you’ll be able to see potential matches’ Instagram photos too. You can also add Instagram followers to your Secret Crush list.

You may see someone’s match percentage with you on their profile. On March 22, 2023, Grindr threatened to share the identities of Republican politicians who “secretly” use the online-dating app to protest Florida legislation. Facebook Dating says it will match you with people based on shared interests, preferences, and other things you do on Facebook, but you can always change these settings.

What we see more and more is that they require you to sign up with a Facebook account, which you may or may not have, and may or may not want to share. You’re Concerned About Security Breaches – Facebook has had some issues with security in the past and when you have a shared log in to multiple sites, this increases the risks when your account is compromised. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.

The quality of the matchmaking algorithm is somewhat questionable. Maybe that’s because of the relatively small userbase, but I’ve felt like my options were limited. I cannot say that I’m too picky, but during the first day of using Facebook Dating, I only liked two people out of nearly a hundred, and only one of them wrote me back. Secret Crush feature feels a little “high-school,” but that makes it even more fun. You can add your real Facebook friends or Instagram followers that you fancy to your Secret Crush list. You can filter the users by various parameters such as age, religion, children, height, etc.

For instance, you can filter your matches based on your level of education and income. Like Facebook Dating, Hinge is only available as a mobile app , not on the web. The trade-off is that the app has some of the most clever profiles around, which makes it more fun, if not necessarily easier, to find a good match. Aside from the usual basic stats, Hinge profiles encourage you to match photos with captions and answer written “prompts,” and you can record audio clips which lets you actually hear your potential date. There’s no shortage of dating sites or apps to choose from, and most are free to varying degrees.

Will my Facebook friends see that I am using a dating site?

Bristlr connects those with beards with those who love beards. Yes, you can register and log in to Tinder using your phone number or email address, without the need for a Facebook account. Meet4U is mostly for hookups and not for long term marriages. You are able to use Meet4U with MobileSMS.io for additional online privacy. Previously, Bumble required you to use Facebook to login, however, now they started allowing you to register with a phone number instead.

Best for Casual Dating

If you’re a woman who loves to game and can be found raiding rivers in Assassin’s Creed Valhallaor taking on friends in a game of Overcooked on weekends, then Kippo is the app for you. People are using the app to find their “player 2” both romantically and just in a gaming sense, with Kippo spawning many beautiful friendships since its launch in 2019. Obviously, I signed up for Facebook Dating as soon as I got home from the official launch, downloading the Facebook app onto my phone for the first time ever. Whether you are looking for a no-strings-attached, strictly platonic encounter, or a long-term romance, Hinge has proven to be quite effective. According to the app’s own data, 3 out of 4 users want to go on a second date. Hinge is free to use and available to both iPhone and Android users.

What to Know About Using Facebook Dating

I have to mention that despite all promises to take care of my privacy, I was not comfortable with using a dating service that is connected with my primary social media profile. Even though your friends will have no idea that you’re using it, psychologically, you feel you’re being watched. One thing that you’ll notice straight away is that people who use Facebook Dating are serious about making a good first impression. I’ve come across many profiles, both male and female, that went into detail about who they are and who they hope to meet.

If your religious faith is central to your life, your synagogue, church or another house of worship makes sense as a place you can meet quality men. Make it a point to attend social functions and participate in their community outreach events. Interestingly, the frequency of religious discussions is significantly higher for partners affiliated with the same religion KenyanCupid members than for those not affiliated with the same religion or any religion at all. And those conversations can prove to be pivotal in relationships, especially when a couple experiences difficult times. A carefree happy hour at a bar with friends can be an enjoyable distraction now and then, but you probably know it’s not your best bet for meeting quality men.