Bumble is abandoning the rule that has been central to its identity since its launch in 2014. The dating app will now allow men to make the first move as well, bringing an end to its women-first messaging policy. The change comes as dating platforms face growing user fatigue and slower growth.
According to a recent survey conducted by Bumble, 66 per cent of women said they would prefer men to initiate conversations, with many respondents saying the change could make dating on the platform feel less stressful.
MEN CAN NOW MESSAGE FIRST ON BUMBLE
When Bumble launched in 2014 as an alternative to platforms such as Tinder, its key feature was giving women control over initiating conversations. The idea was intended to help women avoid unwanted messages. Under the new approach, either person in a match can now send the opening message.
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said that although women making the first move was once a groundbreaking concept, the company’s women-first philosophy was never intended to dictate a single way of connecting.
“While women making the first move was a radical idea, being women-first was never about prescribing just one way to connect. It was about designing an experience with women's needs in mind to create better outcomes for everyone,” she said.
The change follows Bumble’s decision in 2024 to relax its original approach through the introduction of the “Opening Moves” feature. It allowed women to add a question to their profiles that men could respond to.
Alongside the messaging change, Bumble is also extending the time users have to respond from 24 hours to 72 hours. The company believes the longer window could reduce the pressure of having to formulate a response quickly.
During testing of the feature in Canada, Bumble reported increased rates of conversation initiation, fewer expired chats and more two-way conversations.
The company is also exploring a future without the traditional swipe-based interface, while expanding in-person events and developing AI-powered features aimed particularly at attracting Gen Z users.
The changes come as Bumble attempts to improve its financial performance. Its second-quarter results released last week showed revenue declining 15.2 per cent year over year to $210.5 million. The company also expects its number of paying users to fall in the third quarter.
Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, has similarly reported marginal declines.
At the same time, the growing popularity of AI is giving rise to new approaches to online dating. Recently, Hinge founder Justin McLeod launched Overtone, a startup that uses AI to facilitate matchmaking and eliminates traditional user profiles altogether.
