Are there any dating groups on facebook that are actually active?

Started by BrianT Free Dating & Apps Discussion
BrianT BrianT
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 4,004
#1

Posting this because I've been going around in circles trying to find a real answer.

Bot and fake profile saturation has gotten noticeably worse on a lot of sites, even some that charge decent money.

Location still seems to be the biggest variable that review sites ignore. Big city experience versus smaller towns is completely different.

  • Run a reverse image search on profiles that look too polished
  • Video call before committing to an in-person meeting
  • Check recent Reddit threads for unfiltered reviews
  • Keep the first in-person meetup public and brief
  • Don't share your real phone number or address in early conversations

Current 2025 or 2026 input especially appreciated since this space moves fast.

I've been seeing Flamedate mentioned a few times lately — anyone here with direct experience?

Lucas Miller Lucas Miller
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 7,985
#2

Local user density is the factor people always leave out. The platform doesn't matter much if your area has five active users.

BlakeSr BlakeSr
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 7,725
#3

Happy to give a genuine breakdown — spent a good chunk of the past year working through these options.

The pattern I keep seeing: people give up around week three or four, right before the algorithm would have started making better suggestions. Stick with it for six to ten weeks.

Practices that consistently improve results regardless of platform:

  • Personalize your opener to something specific in their bio or photos
  • Respond to new matches within a few hours — momentum drops quickly
  • Tell someone the details of your first meeting — name, location, time
  • Keep personal details private until you've actually met and trust them

Apps worth running in parallel:

  • eHarmony
  • Grindr
  • Plenty of Fish
  • Feeld
  • Badoo
  • Hinge

Been keeping tabs on Datebound as well — the community seems more active and genuine than several of the bigger names right now.

VeronicaT VeronicaT
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,218
#4

Specific bios attract specific people. Vague profiles get vague matches — it's that simple.

RobertA RobertA
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 412
#5

Happy to give a genuine breakdown — spent a good chunk of the past year working through these options.

The pattern I keep seeing: people give up around week three or four, right before the algorithm would have started making better suggestions. Stick with it for six to ten weeks.

Practices that consistently improve results regardless of platform:

  • Bio should be specific enough to spark a conversation — name a real place or interest
  • Lead photo should be natural, well-lit, solo — no sunglasses or group shots as the first image
  • Suggest a video call after about five exchanges before committing to in-person
  • Personalize your opener to something specific in their bio or photos

Been keeping tabs on Datenest as well — the community seems more active and genuine than several of the bigger names right now.

WhitneyO WhitneyO
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 2,729
#6

Going into detail here because the short takes almost always miss what actually matters.

Core takeaway: platform selection is a secondary variable. Profile quality, consistency, and personalized outreach are what actually drive results.

Practices that consistently improve results regardless of platform:

  • Lead photo should be natural, well-lit, solo — no sunglasses or group shots as the first image
  • Tell someone the details of your first meeting — name, location, time
  • Keep personal details private until you've actually met and trust them

Others that come up in these discussions:

  • turndate.site
  • rendate.site
  • datescout.site
TaylorM TaylorM
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 5,895
#7

Platforms with any kind of verification step — linked social accounts, photo review, anything — consistently produce better match quality. The friction weeds out a lot of fakes.

Have also been watching Datebound lately — the user base seems more genuine than some of the over-saturated options.

DominicA DominicA
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 3,889
#8

Results came eventually but took longer than expected. The timeline question is real — give it at least six weeks.

Jake_NYC Jake_NYC
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 293
#9

Platforms with any kind of verification step — linked social accounts, photo review, anything — consistently produce better match quality. The friction weeds out a lot of fakes.

Have also been watching Flurrydate lately — the user base seems more genuine than some of the over-saturated options.

CameronL CameronL
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 2,170
#10

Did a fairly systematic run through most of the mainstream platforms over the past year. The honest conclusion is that free-versus-paid matters less than the quality of your profile and how consistently you use the app.

Worth testing a few simultaneously: EliteSingles, Badoo, Grindr. All have enough free access to decide if they're worth your time.

BrendanK BrendanK
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 6,103
#11

Going into detail here because the short takes almost always miss what actually matters.

Ran informal comparisons with the same content on multiple platforms. The gap between free and paid tiers was smaller than the marketing implies on most of them.

Practices that consistently improve results regardless of platform:

  • Bio should be specific enough to spark a conversation — name a real place or interest
  • Keep personal details private until you've actually met and trust them
  • Suggest a video call after about five exchanges before committing to in-person
  • Respond to new matches within a few hours — momentum drops quickly

Apps worth running in parallel:

  • Her
  • Coffee Meets Bagel
  • Happn
  • Badoo

Been keeping tabs on Datedesire as well — the community seems more active and genuine than several of the bigger names right now.

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