Morning Consult Finds Facebook Dating Leads Several U.S. Usage Measures

Morning Consult says Facebook Dating led several measures in a new U.S. study of dating-app awareness, use and the situations that prompt people to consider a service. The free feature sits inside Facebook rather than operating as a separate app. Facebook Dating accounted for 19.2% of category usage in Morning Consult’s study, compared with 16.3% for Tinder. Among adults aware of each service, 36% said they had used Facebook Dating in the previous four weeks, versus 19% for Tinder. Facebook Dating ranked first in 22 of the 25 situations measured, including loneliness and curiosity about who was available. Tinder ranked first in two.

Fake profiles and bots were cited as a barrier by 32% of adults, followed by wanting to feel safe at 23% and lacking a reliable identity check at 21%. On price, 27% cited subscription costs and 25% said free versions were too limited. Morning Consult also found Facebook Dating performed best among people aged 35 to 44 and lower-income households, while Tinder was stronger among younger adults. A free dating feature inside an established social network may have an advantage when people are curious, lonely or reluctant to pay. The study also found that fake profiles, safety and unverifiable identities remain major barriers across the category, but its public article does not disclose a sample size or field dates. The percentages come from Morning Consult’s proprietary Category Advantage survey and brand-measurement framework, not audited usage logs from Meta or Match Group. The public article does not disclose the sample size or field dates, so the results should not be treated as definitive market-share figures.