Life
Nope, Facebook Dating Won't Tell Your Friends You're Trying To Meet Someone
If you remember the days when making something Facebook Official was the drama that would sweep the school (it was how you knew the "It Couple" had broken up, too), then Facebook Dating will probably knock you off your feet. Launching for the first time in the U.S. on Sept. 5, Tinder's newest competition will give you the option to create a Dating profile if you have the Facebook app. And the best part is, your Facebook friends won't know you opted into Facebook Dating, because what happens in Facebook Dating will stay in Facebook Dating.
Once the feature becomes available on your Facebook app, you'll be able to start crafting your Dating profile (as long as you're 18 or older) and choose what info is transferred from your already established Facebook profile. According to a Facebook Dating press release sent to Bustle, the dating platform is geared toward "helping you start meaningful relationships through things you have in common, like interests, events and groups." By letting you customize what goes on your profile, Facebook Dating "takes the work out of creating a dating profile and gives you a more authentic look at who someone is," the press release continues.
But Facebook wants you to rest assured: if you're using Facebook Dating, the platform won't automatically shout it from the digital rooftops. You will have to opt into Facebook Dating, both because of privacy and because, according to the press release, "not everyone on Facebook is interested in dating." (Score to Facebook for recognizing the lovely aromantic folks on the platform!)
And you won't only opt into Facebook Dating generally — you will also get to pick exactly which information gets shared on your Dating profile. That includes your gender, your hometown, religion, and occupation. You'll be able to opt in or out of sharing all of these things and more on your profile.
But even amidst these options, your current Friends will not be able to see that you've created a Dating profile unless you choose to tell them. You can choose whether Friends of friends are eligible to be suggested as matches for you, and anyone you've blocked in the past will automatically be ineligible for algorithm suggestions.
So who will be able to see your Dating profile? According to the Facebook Dating press release, your Dating profile will be visible only to "the people suggested to you [who have also opted into Dating], the people to whom you're suggested, and the people you add as Secret Crushes."
And if there are some special someones that you want to know you've created a Dating profile, Facebook has got you covered. You can direct your attention to certain Friends by using Facebook's Secret Crush feature. With Dating, you can select up to nine people to tap with a Secret Crush. Here's how that process works, according to the press release:
If your crush has opted into Facebook Dating, they’ll get a notification saying that someone has a crush on them. 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 no one will know that you’ve entered their name.
So really, it's a win-win for everyone. And isn't that what dating life should feel like?
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