Setting Up My Profile
Last Sunday, after an especially terrible date, I signed up for Facebook dating. The process of signing up was easy. It took about 3 minutes to sign up, a couple of pictures and a few quick pieces of information, along with my headline.
If you decide to set up a Facebook Dating profile- keep in mind, the headline is almost as important as the pictures.
Most matches sum you up from the headline and the first picture you select- so choose wisely.
I wrote 1 line for my headline that sums me up in a nutshell, put a few recent photos up, put my first name and hit submit. Just like that, I was on Facebook Dating. I then forgot about it- as I made coffee and started reading the Wall Street Journal (a Sunday tradition for me).
What Happened Next
Within in an hour, I had 31 likes. On Facebook dating if someone likes you’re picture that’s basically what other dating apps call a “match”. I had suggested matches but I never went through them. I just let the guys like me. And they did. The messages started rolling in. And the likes kept coming.
All of my likes were from guys locally, because the app goes strictly off of location. This is one thing you cannot change- because the app goes off of you’re GPS signal of where you are when you set up the app. For example, if you are in Los Angeles when you set up you’re profile that’s where you’re suggested matches will be.
Let The (Dating) Games Begin
Facebook dating is all based off of conversations. The only thing you can do is type and send GIF’s. Through the app, no pictures or videos can be sent so choose the profile pictures wisely!
According to Casey Newton’s article on news website-The Verge, Facebook’s product manager Nathan Sharp said “We didn’t want to include anything around swiping or games. Facebook Dating is about conversations.”
The more I used the app I realized this was true. Guys wanted more photos then what I had on my dating profile. Since the app is not connected to a Facebook profile, the only way to send more photos is by adding them to another social network or attaching you’re instagram or Snapchat tag- and if you really want, giving out you’re phone number.
Quick Tip
A good alternative to giving you’re phone number out is to send a Facebook messenger request without adding you’re matches to you’re Facebook.
The Good, The Bad, and The Really Bad
As with any kind of dating, there is always some really bad choices and Facebook dating is full of them. One guy asked me to his house to watch a movie and chill all day. When I said I had to work his response was “you won’t be disappointed.”
After that, I stopped responding to the conversation. Since the app is based off of conversations, either you can keep replying and hopefully, eventually meet up for a date. Or you can just stop responding.
I also received messages from a lot of guys who claim the only thing they are good at is S E X. Which I found amusing, but didn’t take the time to find out.
The good thing is that Facebook Dating has a block feature so it easy to delete a conversation or block a dating user.
Umm. . .You Have Kids??. . .
Another guy who claimed he was in the military asked me if I had any pets or kids, and when I responded that I have a daughter he instantly blocked me.
A quick shoutout to ladies with kids in the Orlando area-if you are talking to a Nicholas who is in the service on the app, you might want to keep it moving.
And. . . .Where Is He????
Just be warned ladies-if you are messaging a user by the name of Alex, who is in construction from New York and dating in Orlando, you might want to hold off on spending a good part of the day in the salon (like I did) and save you’re money on that new outfit, because if it’s the Alex I was talking too, he might never see it!
Yep. . . I got stood up for the first time in my life thanks to Facebook Dating.
Which was okay, because I quickly hit up one of my other matches and was able to still go on a date.
So far I have gone on one date using the app. He was very respectful, but our interests were very different. We ended the date on amenable terms but I am not sure there will be a second date. I am still on the app-but I’m not checking it as often and am considering other online dating options.
Pro’s
The app was very easy to set up and use. It’s not connected to a Facebook profile e and no last name is necessary. It is local matches only so these matches should all be fairly close to you. Blocking and deleting a contact is easy and the app notify’s you if you and you’re match have mutual friends. You won’t be matched with you’re friends on Facebook, unless you activate the Secret Crush Feature. Which could be fun, if you’ve been secretly crushing on someone in you’re friends list and they have been too!
Con’s
This app is based almost completely on looks. It is hard to know if you have anything in common at all. There is no actual app to download it is only through Facebook so unless you have Facebook notifications activated on you’re phone, you’re not going to know if you got a message or not. Also, there is no feature to add a match to messenger in the app.
And. . .There’s (Not Much) More
Facebook Dating is a very basic dating app that is great for starting conversations and making friends. As far as good matches or finding a soul mate, it could happen but it doesn’t seem like that’s what its geared towards. It’s great for hookups but as always proceed with caution. Unless you’re matches want you to know who they are, you won’t. I saw names like CSS and Oddball currently being used as first names for users.
Safety Tips
As with any type of dating-be careful. Meet in public places, let a responsible relative or friend know where you are going and what time you are expected to be back and send the man’s profile picture to that relative.
For added safety, meet somewhere where they have security and metal detectors if you live in a town that has places like that. If you do add someone to Facebook, check their page and see when they created it. If it was very recently and there are few photos its very possible it’s a fake profile
Also look under the about section and see if they have any family listed. I had one match, that their profile had just been created and all the pictures had been uploaded in the period of a few days from the day the app was created. More then likely this user is not who they say they are and this is a fake profile.
So be safe, keep calm and go date!
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