Bumble, the popular dating app, is making a significant change to its platform by no longer requiring women to make the first move. The app, which was founded on the principle of empowering women in the dating world, is introducing a new feature called "opening moves" that allows female users to set a prompt for male suitors to respond to, initiating a conversation.
This change is part of a larger relaunch of the app, which includes updated "dating intentions" badges, additional profile photos, and a new feature that highlights common interests at the top of potential matches' profiles. The goal of these changes is to help users form more authentic connections and find more compatible partners.
Bumble's new CEO, Lidiane Jones, who took over from founder Whitney Wolfe Herd earlier this year, sees the relaunch as an opportunity to meet the evolving needs of singles in the online dating space. "We're seeing a greater need for authentic human connections," Jones said in an interview. "I don't anticipate that the number of people using online dating is going to go down, quite the opposite, but there is a higher bar... So we're taking it as a great call to action to center ourselves on our mission."
The "opening moves" feature is designed to give women more control over their dating experience, while also allowing men to take the lead in initiating conversations. For non-binary users or those seeking same-gender matches, either person can set and respond to an opening move.
Bumble's relaunch also includes updated "dating intentions" badges that allow users to indicate on their profiles whether they're looking for a life partner, casual dates, or something else. The app is also requiring users to include more photos on their bios, which is expected to increase engagement and help users form more meaningful connections.
The changes are expected to be key to returning Bumble to profitability after it posted a net loss last year. The company's share price has also plummeted 86% from its initial public offering in February 2021. Wall Street analysts expect Bumble to post a profit when it reports earnings for the first three months of this year, up from a loss during the year-ago quarter. The company's number of paying users is also expected to tick up 14% to more than 3.9 million.
Overall, Bumble's relaunch is a significant step forward for the app, which is evolving to meet the changing needs of singles in the online dating space. By giving users more control over their dating experience and introducing new features to facilitate more authentic connections, Bumble is positioning itself for continued growth and success.
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