Facebook Dating, Meta’s dating service that launched in 2019, apparently boasts a whopping 21.5 million daily active users as of November, a spokesperson told Mashable. On top of that, the U.S. leads the pack with the most daily active users and a surprisingly large 1.77 million of those between the ages of 18 and 29, which suggests the platform is becoming pretty popular among the cool kids.

However, these numbers prompted a major eyebrow raise from me. Who are these people? Anecdotally, no one in my social circle of Gen Z and Zillennials has ever touched Facebook Dating, which is an extension of the existing Facebook app. When I told a few friends I planned to try it, I was met with dramatic eye rolls. Sure, some of that reaction tracks with my history of serial dating and app reviewing, but still, given this reaction, is Facebook Dating really that popular among young adults?

Tinder has 50 million users who use it every month, according to its Newsroom, while Hinge has around 15 million, the CEO of Match Group — which owns Tinder, Hinge, and a slew of other apps — shared on LinkedIn. While daily active users and monthly active users are different metrics, Facebook Dating’s numbers suggest that it stands among these titans. So, as any journalist would, I made an account to see what the hype was about, and the results were honestly surprising in a “I can’t believe I spent my week on this” kind of way.

First, the pros. Facebook Dating is not a standalone app. It’s part of the Facebook app alongside other popular services like Marketplace and Reels. That makes it incredibly easy to create an account since you’re already logged in, similar to how Meta launched Threads as an extension of Instagram.

Like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, it also mirrors many of the same profile-building features. When setting up your profile, you can add a bio, answer prompts, select music that matches your vibe, and fill in your religious beliefs, work experience, education, and more. The most interesting tool is an AI-generated bio based on the info you’ve entered. I tested it, and it gave me: “Chicago transplant, gym rat, and trivia buff seeking a partner in crime.” Honestly, not the worst bio I’ve ever had.

Why yes, that is me falling down a sand dune while visiting White Sands.
Credit: Screenshot: Facebook / Chance Townsend

The standout feature of Facebook Dating is that there’s no monetization of the experience at all. All filters are free to use, although there is a daily swipe limit of approximately 70-80 likes,and once you hit it, you have to wait until the next day to swipe again. It also helps that Meta’s “family of apps” (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp) generated over $162 billion in revenue in 2024, so perhaps there’s no need to monetize these features like other apps do when the venture capital runs out. (Meta didn’t respond to Mashable’s request for comment before publication time.)

Curious about the 18 to 29 claim, I set my age range to that bracket within 0 to 5 miles of my area, which is a dense hub of several universities and thus a lot of young adults. Yet, my queue leans heavily toward the older end of the twenties rather than the younger. In fact, it’s pretty slim pickings if you’re 18 to 23 on the app (in my area, at least). As a 27-year-old man edging closer to 30, I’m not looking to date anyone younger than 24, anyway, but I was surprised given Facebook Dating’s user stats.

Now, the cons. Facebook Dating offers dating preferences that you can set in your profile, including making them hard preferences, similar to Hinge. But they don’t work.

Credit: Screenshot: Facebook / Chance Townsend

Even with my dating preferences set to prioritize profiles within 10 miles of me and an age range of 24 to 100, it’s not uncommon to see potential matches who live nowhere near Chicago. I’ve seen profiles from Colombia, Quebec, deep in Georgia, and even a few hundred miles away in Wisconsin. In fact, while writing this sentence, I opened the app and my suggested match lives in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin — 130 miles from me. I’m unsure whether that’s a glitchy app issue that struggles to find exact matches for me or simply a lack of active users.

There are users on Facebook Dating, and if you’re over 40, it seems like the place to be. Between combing through Reddit threads and scrolling through the numerous profiles the app served up, it’s pretty clear that the 35+ crowd shows up far more often than anyone in the 18 to 29 bracket. At the very least, those profiles popped up in my suggested matches much more consistently.

And statistically, it tracks. More than 57 percent of Facebook’s entire user base is 35 or older as of June 2025, according to Statista, so it’s no surprise that this demographic will also dominate the dating side. But based on the stats Meta sent Mashable earlier, being known as the go-to spot for over-40s doesn’t seem to be the vibe the company is aiming for.

More annoyingly (and super embarrassingly), I received zero matches or likes in the almost two weeks I’ve had a profile open on Facebook Dating. I’m not exactly blaming the app for that, but as a somewhat average-looking 20-something (to be humble), I at least got matches on Raya. So maybe it’s a case of effort in, effort out, since my profile is just the standard six photos and my AI bio, along with the usual fillers like work, education, and religious beliefs.

All in all, it was a very uneventful experience. From my experience with Facebook Dating, as someone in the target age range of 18 to 29, this was not the dating app for me. It’s a great place for older online daters, which, you know, is good for them. That makes me happy, but glitchy filters do not. Guess I’ll see what’s happening on Feeld.