Tinder and Co. are boring you now? Then maybe you should give Facebook Dating a chance. We explain how it works.
You already use Facebook to "stalk" others, flirt with them or even go on dates? Very good, then you were ahead of your time and have been running your own Facebook dating for the past few years. Now the function is officially coming to Germany – and it is being integrated into the app. Facebook users over 18 can now create a separate dating profile.
Can my friends see who I'm flirting with?
No and not even that you can go singles via Facebook. Because of this, the dating profile is separate.
How exactly does it work?
Based on the information in the dating profile, Facebook makes you partner suggestions, which you can then like or not. If it comes to a match, you can write to each other or get to know each other better in a video call. You can't send photos or videos (thank you Mr. Zuckerberg, no more Dickpics!) – but you can include Instaposts. You can also tell more about yourself and your everyday life via a story.
Oh dear, what if I have a match with a friend?
Facebook wants to anticipate this possibly embarrassing situation by not suggesting any people from the friends list. However, you can mark a friend as an invisible Secret Crush. If they did the same, Facebook would make a match possible.
What does the fun cost?
That's the good thing about it: Nothing. There is currently no premium feature that you have to buy. Of course, that doesn't mean that it can't come yet …
And what about data protection?
Facebook actually wanted to launch the function in February, but at that time there were still objections from the data protection authority. They should now be cleared out. But be careful: data for advertising personalization is collected in the same way as with a normal Facebook profile, for example.