Facebook Tests Its Virtual Speed Dating App Sparked
Contributed by: kellyseal on Wednesday, April 28 2021 @ 09:15 am
Last modified on Wednesday, May 24 2023 @ 12:16 pm
Facebook is testing a new virtual speed dating app called Sparked, an alternative to the swiping and messaging process of traditional dating apps.
Facebook describes the app as “video dating with kind people,” setting the tone for its users and to differentiate itself from other apps. The company also says that Sparked does not require its users to set up public profiles, and there’s no swiping or DMs - a departure from traditional dating apps.
Instead, Sparked will provide a list of virtual speed dating events in different cities that users can join, according to The Verge[*1] . Once they do, they will begin the speed dating process and each date will last about four minutes. At the end of each mini-date, Sparked will ask how each person felt about the date. If they both agree that they had a “great time,” they’ll be scheduled for a second, ten-minute date. After the second date, if the couple wants to exchange information to stay in touch, they can do so themselves through Instagram, iMessage or email.
Kindness is a major theme of the app according to its website. The sign-up process requires each user to describe what makes them a kind dater with the prompt: “I show kindness by…” Sparked also says that each applicant will be reviewed by a “human at Sparked” before they will be permitted to join a virtual speed dating session, and each user will be asked if they want to date men, women, or non-binary people.
Sparked also begins the sign-up process with three of its main rules: “be kind,” “keep this a safe space,” and “show up.”
Sparked requires a Facebook profile to set up an account on its app according to The Verge, and was developed by NPE, Facebook’s in-house team that works on experimental apps. “Sparked is an early experiment by New Product Experimentation,” a spokesperson for Facebook’s NPE Team confirmed to TechCrunch. “We’re exploring how video-first speed dating can help people find love online.”
Facebook first launched its own dating service Facebook Dating a couple of years ago, and while conglomerates like Match Group and Bumble have taken off with more subscribers and active users on its apps than ever before, Facebook Dating has not been the fierce competitor that the industry expected. In fact, its launch in the UK was delayed until late last year due to privacy compliance issues, complicating its rollout.
Sparked is not the first dating app to introduce virtual speed dating. The League introduced its own speed dating feature in 2019, and Plenty of Fish introduced speed dating events and a new livestream service to its app last year.
Sparked is not available in Google Play or the Apple Store yet, but you can find it via a web browser.