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Facebook To Launch New Dating Features

Facebook To Launch New Dating Features

Apparently there are 200 million single people listed on Facebook so what are you waiting for?

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

If you're sick of Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, Plenty of Fish, Happn, OkCupid, Match, Huggle, Scruff and the rest of those dating apps you spend so much time on, well have we got news for you.

Facebook has decided that it doesn't just want you to interact with your friends and family, but it also wants to play match-maker.

Mark Zuckerberg announced at the F8 developers conference at the San Jose McEnery Convention Centre in California that his social networking juggernaut is entering the dating game. But before you shut down your account out of fear of constant DM sliding, it's an opt-in service.

He told the audience: "This is going to be for building real, long-term relationships - not just for hook-ups.

"We have designed this with privacy and safety in mind from the beginning. Your friends aren't going to see your profile, and you're only going to be suggested to people who are not your friends."

That's actually a relief because you might not want your friends wanting to see your preferences or kinks.

PA

The way it will work is that you fill out a bunch of preferences and Facebook will use that and your existing data on your profile to try and find some sexy singles in your area. The site will also try and use your Events folder to match you with people attending similar stuff.

It will also allow you to stalk their Facebook profile, meaning you might want to hide any embarrassing pictures.

Zuckerberg said that there are 200 million people on the site that list themselves as single - okay thanks for that Zuck, rub it in why don't you.

via GIPHY

Chief product officer Chris Cox added: "We hope this will allow more folks to meet, and hopefully find partners.

"People already use Facebook to meet new people, and we want to make that experience better. People will be able to create a dating profile that is separate from their Facebook profile - and potential matches will be recommended based on dating preferences, things in common, and mutual friends."

There's no word on whether this new realm will require another app or whether it will exist in tandem with the rest of Facebook like shopping is.

TechCrunch said that if/when you find a match, you'll be able to send them a message through a service that's not going to be WhatsApp or Messenger - so it's likely to involve at least one new app to download.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Bumble, Facebook, Tinder, Technology, Mark Zuckerberg