MANILA, Philippines — In a sea of male-dominated dating apps, one distinguishes itself by being a women-first dating app and continuously developing features that give women more choices to make the first move.
Launched in 2014, Bumble is giving women more control of their dating lives by flipping traditional gender roles and challenging the antiquated rules of dating.
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It recently unveiled an updated brand identity and app design, and launched a suite of new features, including more ways for women to "Make The First Move."
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.
Recent Bumble research on 6,138 women aged 23 to 35, who responded between April 5 to 12, 2024, shows women’s experiences have evolved, especially regarding empowerment in online dating.
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 nine in 10 (88%) single women surveyed on the app globally stating that equality is about personal choice and autonomy to decide what is best for her.
The dating app also has features that combat non-consensual lewd content, and leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically block spam, scam and fake profiles. According to research, the majority of women surveyed (60%) use the app because they believe it delivers a better experience for them.
‘Opening Moves’
With the launch of "Opening Moves," which is an evolution of the app’s signature "Make the First Move," women on it have even more choices now in how they connect.
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 the app shared that having more ways to start a conversation would make their dating app experience even better.
They can use one of its recommended Opening Moves or craft their own. For non-binary and same-gender connections, either person can set and respond to an Opening Move.
Dating intentions
Relationships look different for everyone, but more than two in three (68%) of women surveyed stated that they struggle with people not being upfront about their dating intentions. 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 three in four (77%) women surveyed globally on the app 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 has 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 user preferences and past matches.
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 colors and illustrations.
The data shows that three in four (75%) women say the look and feel of a dating app is important to their overall experience and 65% admit that the visual identity of a dating app can makes 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. This includes new content showcasing the lengths women may go when faced with online dating fatigue.
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