Event
Dating app Bumble has ended its requirement that women must send the first message in heterosexual matches, allowing any user to initiate contact. The company also extended the response window for matches from 24 to 72 hours. Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd described the change as an evolution of the brand's mission to reduce pressure and increase flexibility, citing survey data indicating that 66% of women prefer men to message first. The update follows a 15.2% year-on-year drop in revenue and aims to address user fatigue and declining paying customers.
2 published stories · artificial-intelligence · source reliability 50%
Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd cites survey data showing majority of women prefer men to initiate contact, as company seeks to stem user fatigue and reverse financial decline.
Background
Bumble has discontinued its signature “women message first” protocol for heterosexual matches, allowing any user to initiate contact. The dating platform also extended the match response window from 24 to 72 hours. Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd framed the update as an evolution of the brand’s mission to reduce user pressure, citing internal survey data where 66% of women preferred men to send the first message. The strategic shift follows a 15.2% year-on-year revenue decline and aims to counter user fatigue in a crowded market. This move follows previous adjustments in 2024, such as the introduction of “Opening Moves,” as Bumble seeks to retain paying customers and attract Gen Z users.
Bumble has discontinued its signature “women message first” protocol for heterosexual matches, allowing any user to initiate contact. The dating platform also extended the match response window from 24 to 72 hours. Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd framed the update as an evolut
Fact cards
Key entities: Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, TechCrunch, The Verge.
Why has Bumble changed its messaging rules? To reduce user pressure and address a 15.2% drop in revenue, citing survey data that 66% of women prefer men to message first. What are the new rules for heterosexual matches? Any user can now send the first message, and the response wi
2014: Bumble launches with the “women message first” rule, positioning itself as a considerate alternative to competitors. 2024: Bumble introduces “Opening Moves,” a feature allowing women to set profile questions for men to answer, beginning to loosen original rules. 11 August 2
Timeline
Bumble launches with the “women message first” rule, positioning itself as a considerate alternative to competitors.
Bumble introduces “Opening Moves,” a feature allowing women to set profile questions for men to answer, beginning to loosen original rules.
Bumble officially removes the gendered messaging barrier, allowing any user to initiate contact and extending the response window to 72 hours.
FAQ
To reduce user pressure and address a 15.2% drop in revenue, citing survey data that 66% of women prefer men to message first.
Any user can now send the first message, and the response window for matches has increased from 24 to 72 hours.
It follows the 2024 introduction of “Opening Moves,” marking a continued shift away from the platform’s founding mandate.
The update coincides with a reported decline in paying customers and a year-on-year revenue drop to $210.5 million in the second quarter.