Launched in 2014, Bumble rose in popularity as a unique alternative among dating apps with a policy requiring women to message first in matches between men and women. With Tuesday’s update, Bumble will let either person in a match send the first message.
The app’s previous requirement that matches must respond within 24 hours, or the match would expire, has been extended to 72 hours.
“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,” Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in a statement (PDF).
“Today, our community is asking for more flexibility, less pressure and more opportunities to create real, meaningful connections and that is what this new experience provides. This evolution isn’t a departure from our founding vision, but the realization of it.”
CNET reached out to Bumble for comment on how it plans to stand out from other dating apps, including Hinge, Tinder, Match.com and OkCupid.
Why is Bumble changing its chat experience?
The company said the changes reflect “member-backed insights around how dating has grown over the past decade.”
The company said a recent survey of users found that nearly two-thirds (66%) of women preferred that men send the first message, and that more than half of those surveyed said that increasing the reply window from 24 hours would improve their experience.
The survey also found that expectations in dating are evolving, with 62% of respondents saying they are more confident when given flexibility in how and when to begin a conversation with a match.
The company says these changes build on other updates “to improve every stage of the dating journey.” For instance, Bumble is one of many dating apps that incorporate AI-powered features such as AI-generated prompts and profile feedback.
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