Bumble update gives women more choice in how they can date

Singletons on Bumble may have noticed some changes that were recently unveiled.

The women-first dating app has updated its brand identity and app design, plus new features for users, including more ways to Make The First Move, marking a new chapter in Bumble’s evolution.

Back in 2014, Bumble was launched with the purpose of giving women more control of their dating lives by flipping traditional gender roles and challenging the antiquated rules of dating.

Today, the app is expanding upon its make the first move requirement by introducing choice in how a connection is made with Opening Moves.

Additionally, Bumble is making its profile creation quicker and more intentional, expanding its dating intentions and making updates to its compatibility algorithms.

These changes come as Bumble research* shows women’s experiences have evolved, especially regarding empowerment in online dating. Keeping true to Bumble’s mission, equality remains a priority in relationships with the overwhelming majority* (92 per cent) of women stating it is a top marker in romance.

However, how women define equality has evolved with almost 9 in 10* (88 per cent) of single women on the app globally stating that today, equality is about personal choice and autonomy to decide what’s right for you.

Here is a breakdown of what the new updates are:

The Evolution of Make The First Move

Bumble has launched its new Opening Moves feature.Bumble

Now, women on Bumble have even more choice in how they connect with the launch of Opening Moves.

The new feature gives women the option to set a question that their matches can respond to, creating a new way to engage with connections while keeping women in control.

Nearly half of women* (46 per cent) surveyed on Bumble shared that having more ways to start a conversation would make their dating app experience even better. Women can use one of Bumble’s recommended Opening Moves, or craft their own. For nonbinary and same-gender connections, either person can set and respond to an Opening Move.

“We have always believed that when you make dating better for women, you make it better for everyone. In listening to our community, many have shared their exhaustion with the current online dating experience, and for some, that includes making the first move. We’re also hearing from women that empowerment today is not only about control but it’s also about agency, and we’re excited to offer more choice in how women make the first move with our new Opening Moves feature,” said Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble.

“We want to evolve with our community, shifting from a fixed approach to giving women more options in how they engage.”

“Bumble has been leading in addressing the challenges of online spaces, introducing industry-first features like Private Detector™ to identify unsolicited lewd images, AI and machine learning to identify scams and spam, and comprehensive Community Guidelines. This latest launch reflects the first step in our continued commitment to making dating better for women, creating space for people to establish relationship dynamics that work for them,” Jones continued.

During testing, Bumble found that Opening Moves improved meaningful conversations on the app by increasing chat initiation and reply rates, as well as lengthening time spent in conversation.

Expanded Compatibility and Stronger Curation

Relationships look different for everyone, but more than 2 in 3* (68 per cent) of women surveyed stated that they struggle with people not being upfront about their dating intentions.

Bumble's data*** also shows that women want to learn more about a potential match before they connect, with nearly 80 per cent swiping right once they have viewed the entire profile.

To help people better communicate what they are looking for now, not just in the future, the app has updated its Dating Intentions badges to include everything from ‘fun, casual dates’ and ‘intimacy without commitment’ to a ‘life partner’ and ‘ethical non-monogamy.’ People on Bumble can now also select up to two dating intentions to be shown on their profile.

More than 3 in 4* (77 per cent) women surveyed globally on Bumble said knowing someone’s dating intentions is one of the most important things when online dating.

To help people find compatible matches even faster, common interests and shared top musical artists are now highlighted at the top of profiles to quickly and easily identify commonalities with a potential match. Bumble also increased the minimum number of photos required on a profile and made advancements to its For You algorithm, which is a daily set of four curated, relevant profiles based on your preferences and past matches.

A New Look and Feel

To mark the start of a new chapter, Bumble is also unveiling an updated brand identity including a new logo, bolder fonts, and refreshed colours and illustrations.

Bumble’s data shows that 3 in 4* (75 per cent) women say the look and feel of a dating app is important to their overall experience and with 65% that the visual identity of a dating app can make it easier to use.

Led in-house by Bumble’s Creative Studio, the new design will be part of a global marketing campaign launching across more than 10 countries, which includes new content showcasing the lengths women may go when faced with online dating fatigue.

*All data was commissioned by Bumble of 6,138 women on Bumble globally ages 23-35 between April 5-April 12, 2024.

**All data was commissioned by Bumble of 482 women non-Bumble users between July 7-24, 2023.

***Internal Bumble data of women users in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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