Facebook is testing yet another new feature, this time a way of connecting users that resembles Tinder. Recently the social media giant has been testing a number of possible new additions to its platforms, from new colorful comments on Facebook to a way of sharing Instagram Stories to Facebook’s alternative. Now, though, the company may be set to take on Tinder with its latest feature.
The new feature which is similar to the popular dating app in a number ways. Essentially, Facebook will provide users with a list of friends that they may want to meet up with. Once the list is opened, the user is then given the option of replying with either a “Yes” or a “No Thanks” to each person and, just like Tinder, users will only be notified of the other user’s reply if both people choose to reply in a positive manner. According to Facebook itself, the test is limited to a few users in New Zealand and Canada and, just like Facebook’s other tests, it is limited to mobile users. The company also stated that the social media site is often used by users to make plans with friends, so the new feature is expected to make the process much simpler and efficient. Because of this, it appears the company has no plans to take on Tinder and is solely concentrating on users that are currently friends on the social network. Nonetheless, if the feature proves popular it could potentially increase user engagement significantly, especially if users have a relatively private friends list, and could eventually lead to a global rollout.
As this is simply a test, though, there is still the possibility that the feature could be scrapped altogether or taken back to the drawing board in order to be further improved. Either way, considering Facebook Stories hasn’t taken off and therefore increased user engagement, it appears the social media giant is on the look out for the next big feature that will attract the interest of users and keep them engaged for another period of time. Facebook’s main focus of course seems to currently be on its video offerings, which launched last month and recent reports suggest the company is ready to sink as much as $1 billion into producing original content.
