Facebook is testing several new features that encourage you to find and make new friends, as well as start meeting up with your existing friends in real life.
Facebook is trying to get more people to connect with others on its apps – and in real life. With its “Discover People” feature launched earlier this year, Facebook urged users to find new friends through their friends, taking into account events and groups that are shared. Now, Facebook goes a step further by showing you friend suggestions based on common interests, places of work, and places you’ve lived. Obviously, affinity between two people – who they have as friends – is always taken into account.
But what does one do with new friends if one is not meeting up with existing ones? There’s no such thing as a “virtual friend,” right? Well, Facebook also wants to encourage existing friends to talk to each other more, and meet up IRL. In addition to the notification that urges you to get to know the friends of your friends, Facebook is testing a new feature that looks a lot like… Tinder.
Spotted last week by Motherboard’s Jacob Dubé, the feature is available to “a small number of users” in Toronto and New Zealand at the moment, on both iOS and Android. Dubé said that the feature appears initially as a notification saying “[Name] and 15 others may want to meet up with you this week.” When the link is clicked the user is taken to a page with photos several Facebook friends, that says “Want to meet up with [name] this week?”
Now, this is where it gets interesting. You are not “matched” with someone else, unless both agree. Remind you of anything? Tinder, anyone? A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the existence of the new feature, explaining that,
[quote]People often use Facebook to make plans with their friends, so, we’re running a very small test in the Facebook app to make that easier. We look forward to hearing people’s feedback.[/quote]
Image credit: Lucas Matney / TechCrunch & Jacob Dubé / Motherboard
You might also like
More from Facebook
The Oculus Quest Platform Now Supports Premium Content Subscriptions
As VR content expands beyond gaming, Facebook is bringing support for subscriptions on the Oculus Quest platform.
Facebook Brings Zoom Meetings To Portal TV
After adding support on Portal Mini, Portal, and Portal+ Facebook is now adding Zoom and GoToMeeting to Portal TV as …
It Cost Facebook $23 Million To Keep CEO Mark Zuckerberg Safe In 2020
Facebook has spent more than $23 million to guarantee Mark Zuckerberg's security in 2020, as revealed by a SEC filing …
Facebook NPE Team Introduces Hotline, A New Competitor For Clubhouse
Facebook Hotline is a slightly different take on Clubhouse that puts more power in the hands of attendees who can …
Facebook Is Testing QR Codes For Peer-To-Peer Payments In The US
In the US, Facebook has begun testing Venmo-like QR codes to facilitate peer-to-peer payments using its app.
Introducing Facebook Dynamic Ads For Streaming
Facebook has announced Dynamic Ads for Streaming - a new ad solution that will help streaming brands highlight their content …
Facebook Data Breach: Did They Get Your Data?
The latest Facebook data breach concerned over 533 million users. We help you check if your personal data was compromised.
Facebook Analytics Will Disappear On June 30
Facebook will retire its Analytics tool on June 30, the company announced in a Business Help Center post today.
You Can Now Control Who Comments On Your Facebook Posts
Facebook has introduced a new feature that lets you control who can comment on your posts when shared in the …