Facebook Dating is a separate dating space inside the Facebook app for Android and iPhone, where you build a Dating profile, send likes, match and chat. Facebook says you need to be 18 or over, have an account in good standing that's at least 30 days old, and live in a country where Dating is offered; as of Nov 2026 you can't use it on a computer.
That's the short version. The longer one matters if you run a business, because Dating sits inside the same app you use for your Page, your groups and your ads, and people regularly ask me whether it's a place to find customers. It isn't, and I'll show you why below, along with the entry rules, the privacy split from your normal profile and the features only some people get.
Facebook Dating in plain words
Facebook's own Help hub describes it simply. If you want to meet new people, you create a Dating profile. Inside Dating you send likes and messages to people you're interested in, and once someone likes you back, you've matched and can start chatting there.
You don't download a separate app. You reach Dating from your current Facebook account, through the menu in the Facebook app on your phone. But the profile you build there is a different thing from your Facebook profile, with its own photos, its own conversations and its own settings. If you're past fifty and want a more focused option, start with these dating apps for older singles.
The Help hub files everything under five headings: Getting started, Safety and privacy, Create and manage your Dating profile, Using Dating, and Settings. The Settings group covers your match preferences and a switch that stops friends of friends appearing as suggested matches, so you've got some say over how close to home your suggestions come from.
Who's allowed in
Facebook lists three gates, and as of Nov 2026 you have to pass all of them:
- You're at least 18 years old.
- You have a Facebook account in good standing that's at least 30 days old.
- You live in a country where Dating is available.
The 30 day rule catches people out more often than the age rule. Make a fresh account to keep dating apart from your everyday one and you'll find Dating simply isn't there for a month. Facebook also says it may restrict access for new or inactive accounts, and for anyone who's gone against its Terms of Service, Community Standards or other policies.
The country list is long. The version I read on Facebook's Help in November 2026 includes Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with a long run of European, Latin American and Asian countries. Australia isn't named on it.
And it's phone only. Help says Dating is available from the Facebook app for Android or iPhone, so you won't find it on facebook.com in a browser. If the menu item's missing and you're sure you meet all three rules, my guide to Facebook Dating not showing up goes through the fixes.
How it stays apart from your normal profile
This is the bit most people want to know before they switch it on. Here's how Facebook's Help answers the common questions:
| Question | What Facebook says |
|---|---|
| Who can use it? | Adults 18 or over, with an account at least 30 days old, living in a listed country |
| Where does it work? | The Facebook app for Android or iPhone |
| Who sees your Dating profile? | Not your current Facebook friends, and nobody outside Dating |
| Does it show in your Feed? | No, your Dating activity doesn't appear in your Feed |
| Where do chats live? | Inside Dating, separate from your Messenger conversations |
| What if you delete the Dating profile? | Your Facebook account stays, but you can't make a new Dating profile for seven days |
| What if you delete Facebook? | Your Dating profile is deleted too |
There's one catch worth reading twice. If you become Facebook friends with someone you matched with, your matches or suggested matches in Dating can still see your Dating profile. The wall between the two is about who finds you, not a lock on what someone already connected to you can see.
The seven day wait is the other one. Delete your Dating profile on a whim and you can't build a new one for a week, so if you only want a break, read up on turning Facebook Dating off before you press anything.
Why it's no place for your business
Here's where I'll be blunt for anyone reading this as a marketer. Facebook's Help says Dating profiles and activity can't be promotional in nature or contain commercial offers. Its safety rules go further: you mustn't sell, advertise or solicit goods or services, and you mustn't misrepresent who you are, including your name, age or location.
So Dating isn't a hidden audience to prospect, and a profile that reads like a sales pitch breaks the rules on day one. Keep your business on your Page, in groups and in ads, and keep Dating, if you use it at all, personal.
The same safety page sets two photo rules about children: no photo of an unaccompanied minor (an adult must be clearly visible in any photo that includes a minor), and no photo of an unclothed minor.
The location rule that trips people up
Dating leans on Location Services to suggest matches based on your distance preferences. Facebook says you won't be able to see or match with anyone unless Location Services can confirm your primary Dating location.
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That primary location is where you first signed up for Dating, and it only changes when you change it. Move house or city and Dating doesn't follow you automatically, which is how people end up with a location mismatch message. After you've created the profile you can turn location services off and keep using Dating; you'll see matches based on your most recently confirmed Dating location, and that location is visible on your Dating profile.
One knock-on effect: switching off location services changes all of Facebook, not just Dating. Facebook says it uses your location for things like check-ins, finding events and showing better ads.
Extras that only some accounts see
A few Dating features are rolling out unevenly, so don't be surprised if a friend has something you don't.
- Match Anywhere: lets you browse suggested matches outside your primary location by adding up to two more Dating locations. Facebook says it's only available to some people, and not to new Dating profiles.
- Secret Crush: lets you send crushes to Facebook friends, or their friends, who use Dating. The person can see that you liked them, and your profile shows in their Liked you tab.
- Dating assistant: being introduced gradually. It sits as a chat in the Matches tab and offers smart recommendations and AI generated dating advice. Using it means agreeing to Meta's AI Terms, and others may be shown your profile when they use it. Fields it can draw on include job, education level, height, stated age, location, interests, languages and zodiac sign.
I've covered crushes and Match Anywhere in more detail separately, so I won't repeat the steps here.
If something feels wrong, you can report a conversation or a suggested match's profile, or block a profile. Facebook says that for a reported conversation it reviews up to 30 of the most recent messages when the report comes from an account in the European Union, and up to 100 elsewhere.
Getting started, briefly
Turn on location services for Facebook first. Then, as of Nov 2026, Facebook's steps are:
- From the Facebook app, tap Menu in the top left, then tap Dating.
- Tap Get started and work through the questions, tapping Next, or Skip to move on.
- Tap Confirm below Ready to review the details?
- Tap Next.
There's more to it than that, from the gender identity options to choosing who can see your profile, and the full Facebook Dating setup walk-through takes it screen by screen.
My take on Facebook Dating
I'd treat Facebook Dating as a personal feature that happens to live in the same app as your business tools. I'd check the three entry rules before you go hunting for the menu, set your location deliberately, and remember that a match who becomes a Facebook friend can still see your Dating profile. I'd skip it completely as a marketing channel, because Facebook's own rules rule out anything promotional, and I'd skip deleting your profile in a hurry, because that seven day wait applies to everyone.
For the rest of the series, see the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Facebook Dating a separate app?
No. Facebook says you reach Dating from your current Facebook account in the Facebook app for Android or iPhone. Your Dating profile is separate from your Facebook profile, though.
Can I use Facebook Dating on a computer?
No. As of Nov 2026, Facebook's Help says Dating is available from the Facebook app for Android or iPhone, not on a computer.
Can my Facebook friends see my Dating profile?
Facebook says your current Facebook friends can't see it. If you become Facebook friends with someone you matched with, your matches or suggested matches can still see your Dating profile.
Why can't I see Dating on a new account?
Facebook says your account must be in good standing and at least 30 days old, and it may restrict new or inactive accounts.
Can I promote my business on Facebook Dating?
No. Facebook's Help says Dating profiles and activity can't be promotional or contain commercial offers, and its safety rules ban selling, advertising or soliciting goods or services.
