Facebook Launches New App for Couples

Tinder as displayed on a smartphone. Photo: Thomas
Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images
Tinder as displayed on a smartphone. Photo: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images
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Facebook Launches New App for Couples

Tinder as displayed on a smartphone. Photo: Thomas
Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images
Tinder as displayed on a smartphone. Photo: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images

Facebook launched a new social app for couples called "Tuned" that allows partners to chat, share photos, music and have a timeline of shared memories between them.

The app is currently available only on Apple's App Store in the United States and Canada, according to data from industry site Sensor Tower.

According to Reuters, a small team, known as Facebook's New Product Experimentation (NPE) team responsible for developing new interfaces, created Tuned.

NPE describes the app as "a private space where you and your significant other can just be yourselves."

Tuned is currently ranked No. 872 in the United States and No. 550 in Canada in the social networking category, Sensor Tower said.

In February, Facebook promised to launch a new website called "Facebook Dating" in Europe to attract young web lovers and compete other dating apps such as "Tinder".

Julien Pillot, a researcher and lecturer at leading French business school Inseec, said: "From social networks to dating sites is just a step which does not require enormous technological investment."

Pillot said: "Facebook has copied everything which worked well on other applications and added two or three functionalities. What interests them is getting users to link in the sharing of private content."

Until now, all the players in this market are too busy catching up with Match Group, the internet giant that dominates the field.

Match Group Head Amanda W. Ginsberg said her firm "will not underestimate" Facebook's potential to corner the market.

Given the numbers already on Facebook's platform and ease of access, she asked: "Why don't people try it?"

But for now we don't see any consequence for any of our brands," Ginsberg said noting that the use of several apps at the same time is growing.

For her part, Clementine Lalande, co-founder of French dating app Once seeking to attract French users with a remarkable selectivity, said "Facebook Dating's primary results are not impressive."



Severe Heat Waves Hit Southern Europe as Local Authorities Warn against Wildfire Risks

People watch the sun set from the Our Lady of the Hill viewpoint overlooking Lisbon at the end of a hot day in Lisbon, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
People watch the sun set from the Our Lady of the Hill viewpoint overlooking Lisbon at the end of a hot day in Lisbon, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
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Severe Heat Waves Hit Southern Europe as Local Authorities Warn against Wildfire Risks

People watch the sun set from the Our Lady of the Hill viewpoint overlooking Lisbon at the end of a hot day in Lisbon, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
People watch the sun set from the Our Lady of the Hill viewpoint overlooking Lisbon at the end of a hot day in Lisbon, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

Major heat waves across Southern Europe have pushed temperatures above 40 C (104 F) in countries including Italy, Spain and Greece, as local authorities issued fresh warnings against the risk of wildfires.

Experts link the rising frequency and intensity of these heatwaves to climate change, warning that such extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common across Europe's southern region.

Severe heat waves were recorded in Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal before the weekend, with locals and tourists alike taking shelter from the sweltering conditions, The AP news reported.

Two-thirds of Portugal were on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and wildfires, with temperatures expected to top 42 C (107 F) in Lisbon.

In Italy, a few regions — Lazio, Tuscany, Calabria, Puglia and Umbria — were planning to ban some outdoor work activities during the hottest hours of the day in response to the record-high temperatures. Italian trade unions pushed the government to expand such measures at a national level.

On Sunday, the Italian Health Ministry placed 21 out of 27 monitored cities under its highest heat alert, including top holiday destinations like Rome, Milan and Naples.

In Rome, tourists tried to seek shade near popular spots like the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, using umbrellas and drinking from public water fountains to stay cool.

Similar scenes were reported in Milan and Naples, where street vendors sold lemonade to tourists and residents to offer some refreshment from the heat.

Greece was again on high wildfire alert because of extreme weather, with the first summer heat wave expected to continue throughout the weekend.

A large wildfire broke out south of Athens on Thursday, forcing evacuations and road closures near the ancient Temple of Poseidon. Strong winds spread the flames, damaging homes and sending smoke across the sky.

Greek authorities deployed 130 firefighters, 12 planes and 12 helicopters to battle the blaze, while police evacuated 40 people, with five areas under evacuation orders.

In Spain, locals and tourists were desperately trying to keep cool this weekend, as the country sizzled in temperatures as high as 42 C (107 F) in the southern city of Seville along with other locations in southern and central parts of the country.

Southern regions of Spain recorded temperatures above seasonal averages, prompting health alerts and safety recommendations from authorities. The country’s national meteorological service Aemet has said that June is set to break yet another record, becoming the hottest such month since records started.

Experts warned that intense heat can affect daily life, especially for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children.

Local authorities advised against physical activity during the hottest hours of the day, and recommended drinking plenty of fluids.

A Lancet Public Health study published last year highlighted the increasing risk of heat-related deaths because of climate change. The study predicted that heat-related deaths could more than quadruple by mid-century under current climate policies.

While more people currently die from cold than heat, the study stressed that rising temperatures will offset the benefits of milder winters, leading to a significant net increase in heat-related mortality.