There's always room for another online dating app, right? Although, this one seems a bit different. It comes from Facebook and is called Sparked.
Sparked is a video speed dating service that puts a focus on matching together "kind people". It's free and has no public profiles, no swiping, and no DMs. It's designed to get people matched and talking as quickly as possible.
What Is Sparked?
As first reported by The Verge, Sparked is a new dating service from Facebook. It has been built by the New Product Experimentation (NPE) team at the company, which is a developer group established to try out experimental ideas.
Sparked is currently accessible through a dedicated webpage, with no Android or iOS app. It's also region restricted. In our tests, we could access Sparked in the US, but not in the UK.
The Sparked homepage promises "video speed dating with kind people". Unlike other dating apps like Tinder or Hinge, Sparked doesn't have public profiles, nor do you swipe to match with people and then DM them.
Instead, Sparked puts you on a series of virtual dates that last four minutes. If you and your chatting partner get on, you can then follow up with a ten-minute date. From there, you exchange contact information to stay in touch.
When you sign up to Sparked, you are asked to commit to a positive dating experience, which includes showing up for the virtual date and being kind even if you don't have a connection with your partner.
As you fill out your profile, you have to explain what makes you a kind dater. Your response will be reviewed by a member of the Sparked team before you can gain access to the platform.
You are also asked whether you would like to go on dates with trans people. This is in addition to specifying whether you want to date men, women, or nonbinary people.
Is Facebook Dating Still a Thing?
This means that Facebook has two dating services, since Facebook Dating is still around. In fact, Facebook Dating launched in Europe in October 2020, so the company still seems committed to it.
For now, Sparked is an experimentation. It might launch wider and in more territories in the future, be merged into Facebook Dating, or shut down completely.
If you're sick of being single through the COVID-19 pandemic, why not give Sparked a try and see if you meet your love?