Does Tinder Show Your Facebook Friends If They Fall Within Your Search parameters
On your way to work one day, you're idly scrolling on Tinder. You came across some oddballs, some fairly attractive individuals, and one person who forced you to swipe right on. Then, in the middle of your swiping frenzy, one profile draws your attention. You know them because you know them, not because they're attractive or because their bio made you chuckle. You were in the same college class. You're Facebook pals. You begin to feel a little anxious. Is Tinder a dating app that connects you with Facebook friends? Are you planning to see any other individuals you know? Will they come to visit you?
Every time I go on Tinder, I see a man from college whose profile I see. We drunkenly kissed at a party during my sophomore year, and we'd awkwardly say hello to each other if we happened to cross paths on our way to class or anything. And, sure, we're on Facebook. That is, Tinder can match you with Facebook pals.
Tinder is pulling a joke on me every time I see this guy's profile. It's as if they're aware of how uncomfortable we've been in every contact we've ever had, and they think it's amusing to keep placing his profile in front of me. Obviously, this is not the case, but if one of your Facebook friends resides in your area and is within the ranges of your Discovery Settings on the app, their profile may appear when you swipe.
I've noticed a lot of my Facebook friends on Tinder. If we're close friends in real life, I'll occasionally swipe right as a joke. (I only do this with men with whom I have an obviously platonic relationship.) I've never seen an ex on Tinder, but if I did, I'd definitely freak out and swipe left. Actually, I'd swipe right out of curiosity, wait a few days to see whether we matched, and then feel unreasonably upset about being rejected all over again. Yes, that seems to be the case.
It doesn't have to be uncomfortable if you run into a Facebook buddy on Tinder. I have so many random Facebook friends that may as well be strangers at this point since I can't remember where I met them. If I saw them on the app, I'd treat them the same way I would any other stranger. And who knows what else? A right swipe on someone your friends with on Facebook may lead to something amazing. In fact, while swiping on Bumble, I came across someone I vaguely remembered as a teenager and always thought was extremely beautiful but never had the opportunity to get to know. So I swiped right, and we were a match! My 15-year-old self was overjoyed.
Because Facebook and Tinder are linked, there's no way to avoid seeing the occasional Facebook friend or two on the app unless you move to a city where none of your Facebook friends live and/or adjust your Discovery Settings so that none of them fall within any of the ranges (though that second suggestion sounds extremely difficult and unnecessary). And there's no getting past the fact that they'll see you.
Wrap Up
If it helps, dating apps are no longer the odd, forbidden things they once were, so there's no need to feel uncomfortable about Facebook friends knowing you're on them. Dating apps are fantastic! We should all be on them, and we should all encourage our friends to join us. Yes, even our Facebook acquaintances.
