Facebook Dating, social networking tool, arrived in Brazil on Tuesday (30). Despite being a direct competitor of Tinder, it has some advantages, such as the new Secret Crush function, which lets you know which Facebook friends are interested in you.
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The news was unveiled at the annual F8 developer conference in San Francisco, California, until Wednesday (1). Along with Brazil, another 19 countries can now use Dating, which was announced at F8 2018, but was operating in only five locations.
Facebook Dating: How to use and find out the friends who are in love with you
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According to Facebook, the idea of ​​Dating started because nearly 200 million people say they are single on the social network. Mark Zuckerberg's website proposal that the platform be used for deep connections. In the United States, one in three marriages begins with an online relationship. Our goal is for Facebook to be the best place to start meaningful, non-casual relationships. "We want people to really know each other," Facebook Dating Product Manager Charmaine Hung told dnetc.
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Since Dating was already in operation in other countries, the big news today is Secret Crush, a function that lets you know if a Facebook friend is in love with you. You can only use this feature with those who are already using Dating. Also, you will only know who added you as a crush if you have done the same. From then on, the conversation between the possible couple is released. Each person can have up to nine crushes on the list at a time.
Secret Crush function lets you know which friends are in the mood for you. Photo: Share / Facebook
What about Instagram friends? Not included in the crushes for now. Although the company guarantees it is working to connect Dating to Instagram, there is still no predicting when it will happen.
How is Facebook Dating different from relationship apps?
Facebook Dating is not a dating app like most of the ones on the market. First, because it's not an app, it's a function within Facebook. Like other features like Facebook Watch, for example, Dating can be found in the social network menu. Nevertheless, what happens inside Dating stays there. No content from this section of the app shared in the News Feed or other areas of the social network. Facebook friends also do not appear in the suggestions. You will only be able to match strangers and, if you want, you can choose from the settings you want to see friends of friends.
Facebook Dating starts working in Brazil Photo: Divulgao / Facebook
By clicking on the heart button, the user is directed to the suggested profiles. This is the second major difference from Tinder. The mechanics for picking crush have nothing to do with sliding your finger from side to side. Each potential applicant has a complete profile, with data that is not the same as the Facebook profile. To use Dating, I need to create a specific profile for the dating service, use a different photo, and include a variety of other information, including events you want to go to and groups you participate in. Only the first name and age are the same as the main network.
Instead of likes, focus on chatting. With the idea of ​​looking more like real life, Dating allows anyone to pull a subject with someone once in a private message, without having ever enjoyed each other like Tinder. Dating is more like real life: you don't expect permission to go talk to the person, just get close and talk, Charmaine compared.
After all the recent scandals surrounding user privacy, it is normal for Facebook to show concern when launching new services. Among the main protection measures adopted by the platform, it is worth mentioning that:
- You must have a Facebook profile to use Dating.
- But the information from the two networks is separate.
- Only users over 18 years old can participate.
- Dating chat allows only texts to prevent unwanted images and harassment.
Charmaine ensures that privacy and security were important when deciding Dating features. She adds: We are working on an option to send the location to friends to know where you are during an in-person meeting with someone.
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