Facebook announced on Thursday that it has begun testing its new dating feature in Colombia.
This feature is focused primarily on an algorithm-powered home screen of suggested romantic matches based on everything the user decides to share, such as a free-form bio and information about workplace, education, religion, height and if they have children, according to a new report by Tech Crunch.
No swiping is involved. The opt-in feature spotlights the answers to personal questions as well as photos. Users can choose to filter their matches by distance and other criteria and see friends-of-friends as well as strangers. Profiles offer non-binary and transgender options. Users are limited to expressing interest in up to 100 people a day.
Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the dating feature in May, and since then, Facebook has focused on developing the details. With 2.2 billion users on its main social media site already, Facebook is posing a competitive challenge to established dating apps Bumble and Tinder.
It is also trying to distinguish itself by connecting people through shared events and encouraging connections that are more than just fleeting.
Facebook's dating product manager Nathan Sharp told Tech Crunch, "We wanted to make a product that encouraged people to remember that there are people behind the profiles and the cards that they're seeing. We wanted a system that emphasizes consideration over impulse. We want you to consider more than that person's profile photo."
Facebook dating has incorporated a few features to prohibit stalking and steer clear of quick hookups. Users can't message photos, messages are supposed to be tied to a piece of content, and users can't follow people who don't respond to them, according to Tech Crunch.
Read the full report at Tech Crunch.