Facebook Dating, Now Featuring Instagram

With its latest update, Instagram features have made their way to Facebook Dating. If you don’t already know, Facebook launched its dating feature in its mobile app earlier this year that has since rolled out globally.

 

Today the official launch in the US came with updated features — Instagram integration. Soon you’ll have the option to include your Instagram posts in your dating profile and add Instagram followers to your “Secret Crush” list. According to Facebook, we’ll even have Facebook and Instagram stories add to it by the end of the year.

The “show, don’t tell” experience

Concept of the Instagram Stories integration. Via Facebook

Facebook’s all about meaningful and authentic connections. Having Instagram posts and stories on your dating profile allows you to be more “authentic”, according to Facebook anyway. They hope that by allowing potential matches to check out each other’s Instagram, it’ll be more like dating in real life.

The update also adds a really compelling addition to the “Secret Crush” feature, which allows you to secretly add nine Facebook crushes. Now you can add Instagram followers as part of the nine crushes you have on your list — opening up a greater possibility of finding a match with your crush(es).

How does Facebook Dating work?

via Facebook

Like any other dating app, you can find matches that the algorithm churns out based on your preferences, interests and location. Leveraging on their deep insight into personal data, there’s even the option to find matches within the Facebook groups you’re part of or events that you’re attending.

But one of the more interesting aspects of Facebook Dating is its “Secret Crush” feature.

via Facebook

Ever wanted to know whether your crush on your Facebook/Instagram feels the same way about you? Now it’s possible. By default, you won’t be matched with your Facebook or Instagram friends but with Secret Crush, you can. Select up to nine Facebook friends or Instagram followers and if they opted into Facebook Dating as well, they’ll be notified someone has a crush on them. If both of you are on each other’s Secret Crush list, then voila, it’s a match. And not to worry, putting names on your list won’t notify any of them. In fact, there’ll be no notification even when you opt-in for Facebook Dating.

Or is it simply a way to get millennials back on Facebook?

via pewresearch

Various third-party surveys are seeing more young people ages 18 to 29 deleting the app from their phones and just sticking to Instagram. “Facebook has a ‘teen problem,” said Bill Fisher, a senior analyst with eMarketer in an interview with Independent. “This latest forecast indicates that it’s more than a theory.”

It could also be why Facebook Dating is directly integrated into the Facebook app, unlike having a stand-alone version similar to Tinder, OkCupid and Bumble. This way, Facebook can bring and retain its audience back on its core app.

 

via Facebook

Could this Instagram update in its dating app really see the return of Facebook’s younger users? The possibility of finding out whether your Facebook/Instagram crush is also crushing on you could be just enough of a pull.