Facebook Dating Safety Settings & Secure Dating Tips

Facebook Dating, launched in 2019, offers a private and user-controlled way to meet potential matches through your Facebook app. In 2025, it includes enhanced tools for identity protection, privacy management, location safety, and legal compliance across countries like Ireland, the UK, and the USA.

This guide explains all available safety features, describes why each setting matters, and offers practical advice to ensure safer dating experiences.

 

 

Safety Settings on Facebook Dating (and Why They Matter)

Profile Visibility Control

• What it is: Your Dating profile is visible only to others using Facebook Dating—not your friends.
• Why it matters: It maintains strong privacy and preserves boundaries between your social and dating life.

 

Friends-of-Friends Matches Toggle

• What it is: Optionally show matches to people connected through mutual friends.
• Why it matters: You control how far your profile is shared—even on Dating.

 

Block & Report Features

• What it is: Easily block or report users from a profile or message screen.
• Why it matters: Enables swift action to stop harassment or suspicious behaviour.

 

Content Restrictions in Messaging

• What it is: Messages cannot include photos, videos, links, or payment requests.
• Why it matters: Reduces spam, scams, and unsafe content within the app.

 

Live Location Sharing via Messenger

• What it is: Send your live location for up to 60 minutes during a date.
• Why it matters: Adds real-time safety—let someone you trust follow your location.

 

Age Assurance Tools

• What it is: Meta is deploying tools to verify users are 18+ on Facebook Dating.
• Why it matters: Ensures compliance with legal age restrictions and protects minors.

 

Built-in Safety Tips

• What it is: Prompts and guides appear in-app to help users maintain safety.
• Why it matters: Educates users at key interaction points so they stay vigilant.

 

 

How to Use Facebook Dating Safely

• Open the Facebook app, tap the menu, then select Dating.
• Create a separate dating profile; it won’t be visible to your main Facebook friends.
• From your Dating profile, go to Privacy Settings to manage visibility and block users.
• Use Messenger to share live location during a date if you feel it would help your safety.
• Report or block anyone immediately who makes you uncomfortable or behaves inappropriately.

 

 

Essential Safety Advice for 2025

• Always keep conversations within the app until trust is established. Moving too quickly increases risk.
• Meet in well-lit public places, and tell someone where you’re going. If possible, share live location.
• Watch for red flags, like rushed emotional closeness, inconsistent details, or requests for money.
• Use reverse image searches to verify photos and guard against fake accounts.
• If dating app use negatively affects mood or mental health, take a break. It’s okay to step back.

 

 

Why These Tools and Habits Matter

Using every available safety feature doesn’t just protect you, it supports a community standard. By managing privacy settings, verifying connections, and applying caution, you avoid scams, safeguard personal data, and act responsibly toward others.

 

 

Legal Compliance & Platform Support

• Ireland & UK: Facebook Dating is built to meet age assurance and privacy requirements under regional laws.
• USA: Adheres to data protection guidelines and collaborates with safety regulators.
• Worldwide: Offers a dedicated Safety Centre, in-depth Community Guidelines, and responsive support for all users.

 

 

Other Useful Links

Facebook Dating Help Centre (2025) – Official platform support with up-to-date instructions and safety advice.
https://www.facebook.com/help/dating

Meta Privacy Centre (2025) – Comprehensive breakdown of privacy settings across all Meta services, including Facebook Dating.
https://privacycenter.fb.com/ 

UK Online Safety Act (2025) – Government legislation enforcing safety, content moderation, and age assurance for digital platforms in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/online-safety-act-2025 

Online Safety Commissioner – Ireland (2025) – Irish government authority overseeing age assurance and online platform compliance.
https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/online-safety-commissioner

Meta’s Safety Tips for Dating (2025) – Facebook’s internal guide on safe dating practices and recognising red flags.
https://www.facebook.com/safety/dating

Federal Trade Commission (USA) – Romance Scams (2025) – Key U.S. authority outlining how to avoid fraud and scams while dating online.
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-you-need-know-about-romance-scams

National Cyber Security Centre UK – Personal Online Safety – UK cybersecurity advice tailored for adults navigating online platforms.
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/personal-cyber-security

 

 

Partner With Us For A Safer Digital World

At Children of the Digital Age, we believe digital safety is a human right, for everyone, at every age. Our work spans almost a decade, across generations, helping individuals, families, and professionals navigate the evolving challenges of the online world with clarity, support, and up-to-date expert guidance.

 

We provide independent, research-backed advice on digital privacy, online safety, responsible tech use, and the laws shaping the internet in Ireland, the UK, and globally. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, adult platform user, or simply someone who cares about digital well-being, this is your hub for trusted information.

 

We encourage you to:

• Follow our work, stay informed, and be part of a digitally safer future.
• Share our resources to help others benefit from expert safety advice.
• Support our mission to keep digital environments safe, inclusive, and age-appropriate.

Visit childrenofthedigitalage.org to explore our full range of safety guides and digital well-being tools.

Together, let’s make the online world safer, one informed choice at a time.

 

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© 2025 Children of the Digital Age. All rights reserved. | Last Updated: August 2025