Facebook tests video speed dating app that nixes swipes, DMs
The platform, called Sparked, is a product of Facebook's NPE experimental app team.
Facebook is apparently launching a new video speed dating app called Sparked. The platform, available for sign-up on desktop, requires a Facebook account, but the landing page says there are no public profiles, swiping or "endless" DMs, and that the service is free. The Verge earlier reported the news.
Sparked is a product of Facebook's experimental app team, New Product Experimentation. A Facebook representative called it "an early experiment" and a small beta test, adding: "We're exploring how video-first speed dating can help people find love online."
According to The Verge, users will go through four-minute speed video dates. If both people "have a great time," they'll be scheduled for a second date that lasts 10 minutes. They'll then be encouraged to share contact information to keep in touch.
The publication also notes that when signing up, "users have to type out what makes them a kind dater." Those responses are reviewed, and people who are approved can go on video speed dates.
Sparked is Facebook's latest foray into the online dating space, after having launched Facebook Dating in the US in 2019. That platform works by allowing Facebook users to opt into the service to create a separate Dating profile, and then be suggested to other members based on preferences and interests.