Wait, people actually use Facebook Dating?

When we gather around the proverbial campfire and exchange our online dating war stories, we usually talk about the usual suspects: Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Grindr, and sometimes more specialized apps like Lex. But since Facebook Dating launched in 2019, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a story that started there — I know plenty of other people who have. See Facebook meme group Compared to the actual Facebook dating product.

My anecdotal information may be wrong – because people actually use Facebook Dating! Meta shared user metrics for the first time on Monday, revealing that Facebook Dating has 21.5 million daily active users (DAUs) in 52 countries.

Facebook Dating is a feature within Facebook rather than a standalone app, and Facebook puts its dating product front and center in the app’s main bottom navigation bar. (Even if your relationship status isn’t set to single, Facebook dating is in its prime.)

What’s even more surprising is how Facebook dating seems to be slowly catching on among young people. The platform counts 1.77 million users in the US between the ages of 18-29, which is still not on par with the “usual suspects” but is getting closer. App Analytics Firm Sensor tower It is estimated that this summer in the United States, Tinder had 7.3 million active users across all age groups; Hinge was 4.4 million; Bumble had 3.6 million; And Grindr had 2.2 million.

Facebook made it public address It is true the struggle To retain Gen Z and younger millennials on the platform, the company said last year that the daily conversation on Facebook dating among the 18-29 demographic 24% increase.

The best feature of Facebook Dating isn’t something it actively does, but rather that it is Facebook Dating no Unlike Hinge, you don’t have to pay to “unlock” your most desired matches or buy other premium features that bring you closer to finding “the one.”

Hinge Debut”Standout” feature in December 2020, which has come to symbolize everything wrong with dating apps. Hinge’s algorithm finds the people you think you’re most interested in, then places them in the app’s own elite tab. The only way to swipe right on these people is to give them a “rose,” which users get once a week for free — even if you don’t buy a rose for $4 more. Chances are the future husband will know you used a precious rose on him. did, which is kind of embarrassing because, like a true star-crossed-lovers situation, some users have devised increasingly complex plans to get rid of these people. “Rose Gel.”

In comparison, the free model of Facebook Dating looks pretty good. It’s not like Mark Zuckerberg is a philanthropic Silicon Valley philanthropist — Meta is already taking the bank off of you. Collecting your data relentlesslySo no need to buy roses. But as users grow increasingly frustrated with their app’s usual rotation, Facebook dating may not seem so stylish anymore.