Dating app Bumble is eliminating its rule requiring women to send the first message to a match, the key differentiator between it and many other online dating platforms. According to a survey, more than two-thirds of women on the platform prefer for men to send the first message.
NBC News reports that Bumble announced this week that men will now be able to start conversations with women on the app, ending a feature that has defined the platform since its 2014 launch. The change took effect immediately, according to a company news release.
Bumble also extended the window users have to respond to a first message, raising it from 24 hours to 72 hours.
Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in a statement, “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. 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.”
The company said nearly two-thirds of women surveyed on Bumble said they prefer men to send the first message. More than half of those surveyed also said they wanted more time to respond to first messages.
“This evolution reflects a continued commitment to creating an experience that alleviates pressure and delivers greater confidence and better outcomes for our community informed by years of member feedback, product testing, and behavioral insights,” the company said in its release. It added, “This evolution also addresses a growing reality of modern dating as people are busier than ever and meaningful opportunities to connect are often lost due to timing, not lack of interest.”
Gay men and lesbians using the app have always been able to send first messages without restriction.
The policy shift comes as Bumble faces slowing growth across the online dating industry and reports that the company is considering a sale. Bumble cut 30 percent of its global workforce last year. Both Bumble and rival Tinder, owned by Match Group, have reported consecutive declines in paying users and revenue, along with falling stock prices in recent years.
Read more at NBC News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of AI, free speech, and online censorship.