Now Reading: Bumble drops women-first messaging rule for engagement boost
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Bumble drops women-first messaging rule for engagement boost
Bumble on Tuesday said it will now allow either person in a heterosexual match to send the first message, dropping its women-first rule that had defined the dating app since 2014. The…
The Story in Brief
Bumble on Tuesday said it will now allow either person in a heterosexual match to send the first message, dropping its women-first rule that had defined the dating app since 2014. The company is also extending the reply window to 72 hours from 24 hours.
The changes follow tests in Canada that showed higher chat initiation rates and fewer expired chats. Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said they respond to user demands for "more flexibility, less pressure, and more opportunities to create real, meaningful connections." The move comes as dating apps face slowing growth and user fatigue. Bumble recently reported a 16.4% decline in paying users and forecast third-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates.
The Indian Opinion
Some see Bumble abandoning its feminist origins, but the real story is user fatigue and a 16.4% drop in paying users. The women-first rule was a brand signature, not a sacred cow. If tests in Canada show higher chat rates, the move is pragmatic. The question is whether it will reverse the paying-user decline and lift revenue, which missed Wall Street estimates. Watch next quarter's user numbers.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
