Bumble, the women-first dating app, today unveiled an updated brand identity and app design, and launched a suite of new features, including more ways to Make The First Move, marking a new chapter in Bumble’s evolution.
Bumble launched in 2014, 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, the app is making its profile creation quicker and more intentional, expanding its dating intentions and making updates to its compatibility algorithms.
Recent research* shows women’s experiences have evolved, especially regarding empowerment in online dating. Keeping true to the app’s mission, equality remains a priority in relationships with the overwhelming majority (92%) of women stating it is a top marker in romance. However, how women define equality has evolved with almost 9 in 10 (88%) single women surveyed on the app globally stating that today, equality is about personal choice and autonomy to decide what’s right for you.
After billions of first moves and countless success stories, the app continues to prioritize community-first feedback with solutions that make dating better for women. This builds upon the company’s decade of leadership in addressing issues that impact women online, including banning body shaming and gender-based hate, launching features to combat non-consensual lewd content, and leveraging AI to automatically block spam, scam, and fake profiles. According to research, the majority of women (60%) surveyed use Bumble because they believe the app delivers a better experience for them.
The Evolution of Make The First Move
Beginning today, women on the app 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%) 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 app’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, 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, the app 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%) of women surveyed stated that they struggle with people not being upfront about their dating intentions. App’s data also shows that women want to learn more about a potential match before they connect, with nearly 80% 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 the app can now also select up to two dating intentions to be shown on their profile. More than 3 in 4 (77%) 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. The app 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, the app is also unveiling an updated brand identity including a new logo, bolder fonts, and refreshed colors and illustrations. The new design is a reflection of the company’s branding evolution, emphasizing their ongoing dedication to enhancing member experiences on the app. App’s data shows that 3 in 4 (75%) 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.