Facebook Dating can be turned off in your account settings, and your dating profile will disappear within a few hours
To delete Facebook Dating, open the Facebook app on your phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll down to "Dating," and tap "Settings." At the bottom of the Settings page, you'll see "Delete Dating Profile." Tap it, confirm that you want to delete, and your profile is gone. The process takes less than a minute. Your matches, messages, and dating activity will all be removed.
If you're using Facebook on a computer instead of a phone, the steps are slightly different. Go to facebook.com, click the menu icon in the top right, select "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings." On the left sidebar, click "Dating," then scroll to the bottom and click "Delete Dating Profile." Confirm the deletion, and you're done.
Once you delete your dating profile, Facebook keeps no record of your matches or conversations from Dating. You won't be able to message people you matched with through the Dating feature, though you can still message them through regular Facebook Messenger if you're already connected as friends.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting your Facebook Dating profile takes one minute and removes all your matches, messages, and dating activity from the platform.
- The delete option is in Settings at the bottom of the Dating section on both mobile and desktop versions of Facebook.
- Deleting Dating does not delete your main Facebook account or affect your regular Facebook friends and messages.
- You can turn Dating back on later by reopening the Dating section, though you'll start with a blank profile and no previous matches.
What happens to your data when you delete Dating
When you delete your Facebook Dating profile, the platform removes your dating profile photo, bio, age, location preferences, and all the people you've matched with. Your conversations with matches disappear from the Dating section. Facebook does not keep a backup of this information once you delete it.
Your main Facebook account remains completely unchanged. Your regular friends list, photos, posts, and Messenger conversations stay exactly as they were. Deleting Dating only affects the Dating feature itself, not your broader Facebook presence.
If you had connected Instagram to your Facebook Dating profile to show Instagram photos, that connection is also removed when you delete Dating. You'll need to reconnect them if you turn Dating back on later.
Turning Dating back on after you delete it
If you delete your Facebook Dating profile and later change your mind, you can turn Dating back on by going to the same menu where you deleted it. Open the Dating section, and you'll see an option to "Create Dating Profile." You can set up a new profile with new photos and preferences.
When you restart Dating, you won't see your old matches or conversations. You're starting fresh with a new profile, so people you previously matched with won't automatically reappear. You'll need to match with them again if you both use Dating at the same time.
Reasons people delete Facebook Dating
Some people delete Dating because they've met someone and no longer need the feature. Others find they're not getting matches they're interested in, or they're uncomfortable with how the feature works. Some delete it temporarily while they focus on other things, knowing they can turn it back on whenever they want.
Privacy concerns are another common reason. Facebook Dating uses your Facebook data to suggest matches, and some people prefer not to have that information collected for dating purposes. Deleting the profile removes that data collection for the Dating feature specifically.
If you're getting unwanted messages or matches that make you uncomfortable, deleting your profile stops those interactions when ready. You won't receive new match suggestions or messages through Dating once your profile is gone.
The difference between deleting Dating and deactivating your Facebook account
Deleting your Facebook Dating profile is not the same as deactivating or deleting your entire Facebook account. When you delete Dating, your Facebook account stays active, and you can still use Messenger, see your friends' posts, and do everything else on Facebook normally.
If you wanted to delete your entire Facebook account instead, that's a separate process that removes your whole profile, all your photos, posts, and friends list. That's a much bigger step. Deleting Dating is a small, reversible action that only affects the dating feature.
If you can't find the delete option
If you're looking for the delete option and can't find it, make sure you're in the Dating section of your settings, not just your general Facebook settings. On mobile, tap the menu, scroll down to find "Dating," tap it, then tap "Settings." The delete option should be at the very bottom of that page.
If Dating isn't showing up in your menu at all, it may not be available in your country or region. Facebook Dating is not available everywhere. You can also check whether you've already deleted your profile — if you have, the Dating option might not appear in your menu anymore.
If you're still having trouble, try logging out of Facebook completely and logging back in. Sometimes the menu needs to refresh to show all options. Make sure you're using the latest version of the Facebook app if you're on mobile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting Facebook Dating delete my regular Facebook account?
No. Deleting your Dating profile only removes the dating feature. Your Facebook account, friends, messages, photos, and everything else stay exactly the same. You can use Facebook normally after you delete Dating.
Can people still see me on Facebook Dating after I delete my profile?
No. Once you delete your profile, you won't appear in anyone's match suggestions, and no one can message you through Dating. Your profile is completely removed from the feature.
If I delete Dating and turn it back on later, will my old matches still be there?
No. When you delete your Dating profile, all your matches and conversations are permanently removed. If you turn Dating back on, you'll have a brand new profile with no history of previous matches.
Does Facebook keep my dating information after I delete it?
Facebook removes your dating profile, photos, bio, and match history when you delete your profile. However, Facebook may retain some data about your account activity for legal or security reasons, separate from your visible dating profile.
Can I delete Dating from a computer, or do I have to use my phone?
You can delete Dating from either a computer or a phone. On a computer, go to facebook.com, click the menu, select Settings, find Dating on the left sidebar, and click delete at the bottom. The process is the same on both devices.