Facebook Dating wants to be the anti-Tinder

Facebook is likely the last company you think about when you hear the words “dating app.”

But now the social network is beginning the (very slow) rollout of Facebook Dating, its first foray into online dating. The service, which will be part of the main Facebook app rather than its own standalone app, is making its public debut this week. 

For Facebook, which has spent the better part of the last year encouraging users to make sure their time on the social network is “well spent” with more updates from friends and family, dating is the latest test of whether or not the company can add value to users’ personal lives. It also comes at a time when skepticism and privacy concerns are at an all-time high.

That may be why Facebook is starting slow. Initially, the dating features will only be available in Colombia, which, according to Facebook product manager Nathan Sharp, was chosen because online dating is already popular there and it has a “mix of rural and metropolitan areas.”

Beginning today, some Facebook users in the country will be able to opt into Facebook Dating and make profiles. The matching part, where you can actually find dates, will come later once enough people have joined.

At first glance, Facebook’s take on dating looks like any other generic dating app. There’s splashy, oversized profile photos, accompanied by a first name, age, location, and how many mutual Facebook friends you may have. Tap into a profile and you can see additional photos, and answers to OkCupid-style questions like “What does your perfect day look like?”

But the social media company is trying to differentiate itself from other dating apps in a few ways. Namely that it’s not meant for people seeking casual hookups, something Mark Zuckerberg stressed earlier this year when he first teased Facebook Dating onstage at F8.

Throughout the product, there are subtle cues to reinforce this idea. There’s no swiping, for one thing. Instead, you simply tap on profiles of people you’d like to connect with, and you can only “express interest” in 100 people a day (ostensibly to discourage people who swipe right on everyone in hopes of maximizing their matches). Speaking of matches, there are no “matches” in the way that there are on other dating apps. You can see who has shown interest in you at any given time, even if you haven’t tapped on their profile.

There are a few other Facebook-specific features: you can browse profiles based on events you’re attending and your groups. Sharp notes that members of groups must opt in separately to ensure privacy. And while there’s little connection between your main Facebook profile and your Facebook Dating profile, bad behavior on Facebook Dating could get you suspended from all of Facebook. 

Messaging is also a tad less effortless than in other dating apps. Facebook requires you to acknowledge some aspect of the person’s profile — either a photo or an answer to one of their questions — in order to send them a message. The messaging part of the service is also separate and much more stripped down than Facebook Messenger. The feature is limited to text and emoji only — you can’t exchange photos, links, or other media.

The reason for this, like the rest of the service, ties back to Facebook’s goal of fostering “meaningful relationships,” says Sharp.

“It makes sure that most messages that are coming through are hopefully unique and relevant instead of generic one-liners that people can send to anyone.”