Facebook Quietly Launches Couples Only App Tuned
Contributed by: kellyseal on Wednesday, May 13 2020 @ 02:37 pm
Last modified on Wednesday, May 13 2020 @ 04:08 pm
Facebook has created a new app exclusively for couples dubbed Tuned. With it, they are able to share messages, music and digital scrapbooks with each other privately and in theory – deepen their connection.
Facebook entered the relationship app world with Facebook Dating, which has fallen flat among users as Tinder, Bumble and other dating apps have seen a surge of activity. Tuned however was created by Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team, and focuses exclusively on couples instead of singles – helping them foster an intimate virtual connection. There hasn’t been a huge marketing push like there was ahead of the launch of Facebook Dating. Instead, Tuned has had a quiet rollout, almost like a beta test.
According to The Verge[*1] , Tuned connects to Spotify so you can share playlists, and the app offers its users virtual cards and the ability to create voice memos for each other. The app also provides custom stickers and reactions to share – like advertising what kind of mood you’re in and checking in with your partner on how he’s feeling.
Tuned doesn’t require a Facebook account and is free to use, but its users are subject to Facebook’s rules regarding privacy, which means your data could be sold to third parties for ad targeting.
The Verge points out that all of the same actions offered on Tuned can be done over any messaging app – including sharing voice memos, memes and music. But users might like the idea of a private, dedicated space where text threads don’t get lost. It’s also a more effective tool to help you communicate and organize with each other because it’s all in one place and easily sorted through - whether it’s songs you recommended to each other or sharing photo albums from a trip you took together.
The New Product Experimentation Team is similar to those of other tech companies, acting as a development arm of Facebook to test out new product ideas with the public. Its goal according to Tech Times[*2] was “to develop new social media services that would be seen as a hit as well as useful to the eyes of consumers.”
Other apps the team has created include a meme tool and a photo organizing app similar to Pinterest.
The Verge points out that Facebook might be returning to creating more intimate social apps in an effort to distinguish closer personal relationships from those of followers, like they did with Threads and also Close Friends on Instagram.
The new app is currently only available on iOs but will be made available for Android soon.