Dropping the gimmick: Bumble will allow men to send the first message
Dating app Bumble is changing its rules: either party in a match can now send the first message. Additionally, the response window for a match has been extended from 24 to 72 hours.
Dating app Bumble is canceling the feature most identified with its brand: from now on, either party in a match will be able to send the first message, not just women, the company announced on Tuesday. In addition, Bumble is extending the response window for a match from 24 to 72 hours.
«Although the idea that women should make the first move was radical, being 'women-first' was never intended to set only one way to connect, — said Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd. — It was intended to design an experience that considers the needs of women to create better results for everyone».
This move changes one of the basic principles Bumble has held since its 2014 launch, when it branded itself as a more pleasant alternative to Tinder. According to a Bumble survey, 66% of women asked said they prefer that men send the first message, noting that it makes the dating experience less stressful. More than half of the users surveyed said that a longer response window improved their experience.
«Today our community is asking for more flexibility, less pressure, and more opportunities to create real and meaningful connections, and that is what the new experience provides, — added Herd. — This evolution is not a deviation from our founding vision, but the realization of it».
Bumble has already adjusted its rules in the past; in 2024, it introduced Opening Moves, a feature allowing women to set a question in their profile for a man to answer. The change comes as the company attempts to recover financially: in the second quarter report published last week, revenues fell by 15.2% year-over-year to 210.5 million dollars, and Bumble expects the number of its paying customers to decrease in the third quarter.
There is a broader slowdown in the online dating market, characterized by user fatigue and a crowded landscape, as many realize that swiping through hundreds of profiles is not necessarily an ideal experience. The company recently stated it is exploring a future without swipes, alongside more face-to-face events and AI-based features, especially to attract Gen Z users, the hardest target audience to engage in the dating world.
