Facebook Dating Quietly Gains Ground on Dating Apps

Facebook Dating does not get the same attention as Tinder, Bumble or Hinge, but new research suggests it has built a significant position in the U.S. dating market.

Facebook launched Dating in the U.S. in September 2019, after initially testing the service in Colombia. Unlike most dating services, Facebook Dating is not a standalone app. It sits inside Facebook and is free to use. Users opt in and create a separate dating profile, while matches can be based on preferences, interests, Facebook groups and events. The service expanded into Europe in October 2020. At the time, Meta said Facebook Dating had already generated more than 1.5 billion matches across 20 countries.

More recently, Meta has started releasing more information about how the service is performing. In 2025, the company said hundreds of thousands of people aged 18 to 29 in the U.S. and Canada were creating Facebook Dating profiles each month, while matches among young adults had increased 10% year-on-year. Meta also introduced an AI dating assistant and Meet Cute, which automatically suggests matches.

Morning Consult Research – The Dating Apps Landscape Today

New research from Morning Consult shows Facebook Dating’s growing presence in the U.S. dating market. The study looked at 25 different situations that might prompt someone to consider using a dating service. The situations include feeling lonely, being curious about who is available, wanting to know who is interested in you, returning to dating after a breakup and looking for a serious relationship. Facebook Dating ranked first in 22 of the 25, while Tinder ranked first in two.

Facebook Dating appears to be converting awareness into actual use. Morning Consult found that around 36% of U.S. adults who were aware of Facebook Dating had used it during the previous four weeks. For Tinder, the figure was 19%.

The study also offers some insight into why people turn to dating apps in the first place. Loneliness was the most common reason, cited by 22% of adults, followed by curiosity about who is available at 19% and wanting to know who is interested in them at 18%. Looking for a serious relationship ranked much lower, at 11%. Facebook Dating performed particularly well among people feeling lonely or curious about who was available. Around 48% associated Facebook Dating with loneliness and 49% with curiosity. For comparison, around 35% associated Tinder with curiosity about who was available.

Age also plays a role. Tinder has a particularly strong position among Gen Z, while Facebook Dating performs best among 35 to 44-year-olds. Facebook Dating also performed better among women, while Tinder had a slight lead among men.

Income is another factor. Facebook Dating was stronger among lower-income consumers, while its position weakened as household income increased. Its free model could be part of the appeal, particularly as subscription costs remain one of the main barriers to using dating apps. According to the study, 27% of adults identified subscription costs as a barrier to using dating apps, while 25% said free versions were too limited.

The findings suggest Facebook Dating has become a stronger competitor in the U.S. market than its relatively low profile might suggest. Its free model and presence inside Facebook set it apart from subscription-based dating apps. This could be particularly important as cost remains a barrier for many users. Being part of Facebook may give Dating another advantage: it has more information about its users and potentially more insight into what happens after people match.