Bumble is dropping a rule that had long distinguished the dating app from its competitors, allowing men to send the first message after a heterosexual match.
The change marks a significant shift for Bumble, which built its identity around giving women control over who starts a conversation. Since its launch in 2014, the company had required women to initiate chats with male matches.
Bumble said the change is designed to give users more flexibility in starting conversations and reflects how dating habits have evolved.
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Under the updated system, either person in a heterosexual match can initiate the conversation. Bumble is also moving away from its previous requirement that women be responsible for starting the interaction.
The company had already begun easing its women-first model in 2024 with the introduction of its Opening Moves feature. The feature allowed women to set a prompt that men could respond to, reducing the pressure on women to come up with an opening message each time. Bumble has now gone further by removing the requirement altogether. The company said the latest update is intended to make conversations easier to start while maintaining its focus on creating meaningful connections.
The shift comes as dating apps face growing challenges in attracting and retaining users. Bumble has been experimenting with new features and moving beyond its traditional swipe-based model as it seeks to increase engagement.
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Earlier this month, Bumble said it was focusing more heavily on real-world experiences and its Plans app, which is designed to help people connect through group activities and in-person events. The company has also been exploring artificial intelligence and other tools aimed at improving the online dating experience as users increasingly report fatigue with conventional swipe-based apps.
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd, who founded the company in 2014, has described the changes as part of an effort to adapt the platform while preserving its emphasis on women’s experiences.
The company’s latest move effectively ends one of the most recognizable features of its original dating model. Men can now take the first step, giving Bumble users more choice over how conversations begin.
The change also places Bumble more directly alongside other major dating platforms, where either person can generally initiate a conversation after matching.