How Old Does Your Facebook Account Have to Be for Facebook Dating?

At least 30 days. Facebook's help page on who can use Dating says you need a Facebook account in good standing that's at least 30 days old, you must be 18 or older, and you must live in a country where Dating is available. The page describes no waitlist, so a new account just has to age.

Here's what Facebook's "Who can use Facebook Dating" page says you need:

1. You're at least 18 years old.
2. You have a Facebook account in good standing that's at least 30 days old.
3. You live in a country where Dating is available. The page lists them, and the U.S., U.K., Canada, Brazil and Mexico are on it.

Facebook also says Dating is only available in the Facebook apps for Android and iPhone, not on a computer.

It's the age of the account, not how long you've wanted Dating. If you made a Facebook account last week, Dating won't open for it yet.

Facebook says it may limit or deny access if you're under 18, your account is new or inactive, or you've broken its Terms of Service, Community Standards or other policies. Three different problems get the same result, which is why a missing Dating tab confuses people.

Quick check:

• New account: you just have to wait until it's at least 30 days old.
• Inactive account: Facebook says access may be limited, so start using the account again as you normally would.
• Warned or restricted account: waiting won't fix this. Look at what happened on your account and stay within Facebook's rules.

Facebook's page lists requirements and no queue. There's no sign-up that puts you in line and no date when people are let in.

The closest thing is a gradual rollout of newer features. Facebook's help page for the dating assistant says it's "being gradually introduced and may not be available to you yet" and suggests updating the app. That's about one feature, not about the whole of Dating.

If you read about a waitlist somewhere else, check it against Facebook's own page.

Work through these before you decide it's missing:

• Update the Facebook app. In the app, open the menu and tap Dating, or search for "Facebook Dating."
• Make sure you're in the Android or iPhone app, not a browser.
• Turn on location for Facebook. A troubleshooting guide from Guiding Tech says to use Precise Location on iPhone, or "Allow only while using the app" on Android.
• Turn off any VPN, force close the app, then log out and back in.
• Check your country against the list on Facebook's page.

If you deleted a Dating profile, Facebook's page says you have to wait 7 days before creating a new one. That's the only fixed waiting period it lists besides the account age.

Get the basics ready so you start with a strong profile instead of a rushed one.

• Ask a friend to take three or four photos in daylight, in places you really go, in clothes you really wear.
• Draft written answers with one specific detail in each.
• Keep using the account normally and inside the rules.

A wait, real or imagined, is a poor reason to stop meeting women. Facebook Dating is one dating app among several.

a dating coach treats every app as a test with numbers. While Dating is out of reach, spend your evenings on another dating app, count your conversations and dates, and add Facebook Dating once it opens. You will then know what a good result looks like and can compare it fairly.

Whatever app you use, take good conversations off it quickly. a dating coach's habit is to get a number within a handful of messages and have a short phone call before a date. A man who does that does not depend on any one app being open.

Your Facebook account has to be at least 30 days old and in good standing, you have to be 18 or older, and you have to live in a supported country. There's no waitlist on Facebook's page. If you're blocked, check your account's age and standing, update the Android or iPhone app, and use the wait to get your photos and answers ready.