Facebook Dating app expands to Europe with ‘Virtual Dates’

The Secret Crush feature lets you explore potential relationships with people you already know on Facebook and/or Instagram.

San Francisco: Facebook has expanded its Dating app to Europe with a new feature called Virtual Dates and according to the social network, over 1.5 billion matches have been created in the 20 countries since the launch of Facebook Dating in September last year.

Facebook Dating is a dedicated, opt-in space within the main app, and people can create a profile in just a few taps.

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The Secret Crush feature lets you explore potential relationships with people you already know on Facebook and/or Instagram.

“Facebook Dating won’t suggest your Facebook friends as potential matches, but if you choose to use Secret Crush, you can select up to nine of your Facebook friends or Instagram followers who you’re interested in,” Kate Orseth, Product Manager, Facebook Dating, said in a statement on Wednesday.

If your crush adds you to their Secret Crush list too, it’s a match.

If your crush isn’t on Dating, doesn’t create a Secret Crush list or doesn’t put you on their list, then your crush will not know that you’ve entered their name.

“Stories in Dating enable you to share moments from your everyday life so you can find a meaningful connection with someone who is interested in what you’re into,” Orseth said.

Facebook said that it is rolling out a feature called Virtual Dates where people can start a video chat with their match by tapping on the video icon in the chat.

“Starting the call will send an invitation, and once they accept, they will join your video call and you can get to know each other better. Your first name and Dating profile photo will be displayed when starting the call,” Facebook informed.

Dating is an opt-in experience, Facebook said.

You choose whether you want to create a Facebook Dating profile, and you can delete your Dating profile at any time without deleting your Facebook account.

“We don’t display your last name on your Dating profile. You can choose whether to share information such as your hometown, religion, occupation and more, on your Dating profile,” Facebook said.

“We won’t suggest current Facebook friends as potential matches or notify them that you’ve joined Dating,” it added.

For example, your Dating profile, Dating messages and who you like or match with in Dating won’t appear in your Facebook News Feed.

Anyone you’ve blocked on Facebook or in Dating will not be suggested as a match for you.