NEW YORK TIMES – Facebook Dating has quietly become one of the biggest dating services, now topping 21M daily users by offering a free, easy alternative to paid apps. Its growth shows how Facebook is reinventing itself: younger users may ignore the main feed, but they return for Marketplace, Messenger, and Dating. The service benefits from real profiles, strong network effects, and Meta’s decision not to charge subscriptions, keeping all features open to everyone. Usage among under-30s is rising, older users remain active, and Meta is expanding the product with AI tools like an AI dating assistant, an AI matchmaker called Meet Cute, and even friend-as-matchmaker features. Despite some reports of scams, many users prefer Facebook Dating because it gives them more matches without paying.
