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Meta closes dating service Sparked

After almost a year of testing, Meta Corporation (formerly Facebook) announced the closure of the Sparked video dating service. The company notified users of this by email. Meta cites that Sparked failed to gain popularity. The app will be deactivated on January 20th.

The service was developed by the experimental applications division of NPE Meta.

The company has been testing Sparked in several markets, with special events including those for the LGBT community and other demographics.

Sparked users were given the opportunity to chat during a four-minute video date, which was extended by another 10 minutes if the participants wanted to continue the acquaintance. During this time it was possible to exchange contacts.

The service team experimented with communication formats, last summer the company launched audio dates. Meta used this experience in its other dating service, Facebook Dating, which introduced the option to start an audio chat with a partner.

In an email, the authors say that when they started working on the service at the end of 2020, they wanted to help people find love through an experience based on kindness. They point out that some good ideas end up being implemented, but that didn't happen with Sparked.

NPE leaves the option for users to upload their information before shutting down the service. Accounts will be deleted after January 20th.

The company was responsible for developing the CatchUp audio calling app, E.gg collage maker, and the TikTok, Twitter, and Clubhouse counterparts BARS, Venue, and Hotline. All applications except BARS failed and were closed. NPE also created the Tuned and Collab services. The latter is a collaborative music production app, but it was revealed this week that it will be shutting down in March.

Meta closes dating service Sparked