Bumble is making one of the biggest changes in its history, officially moving away from the women-first messaging rule that helped distinguish the dating platform from its competitors for more than a decade.
The dating app announced this week that either person in a heterosexual match can now send the first message, ending the requirement that women initiate conversations. The policy had been a defining part of Bumble since the platform launched in 2014.
The change means men will now be able to start conversations directly after matching instead of waiting for the woman to make the first move.
Bumble is also giving users more time to decide whether they want to continue a new connection. The company is extending the response window for an initial message from 24 hours to 72 hours, reducing the chances of a match disappearing simply because someone did not respond within a day.
The company had already started relaxing its original messaging system in 2024 when it introduced Opening Moves. That feature allowed women to place a question or conversation starter on their profile that a match could answer, creating another way for conversations to begin without requiring women to compose the first direct message.
The latest update takes that idea considerably further by removing the gender-based restriction altogether.
According to reporting surrounding the announcement, Bumble says users have been looking for more flexibility and less pressure when beginning conversations. The company has also pointed to testing in Canada that resulted in more conversations starting and fewer matches expiring.
The decision comes as the broader online dating industry faces challenges surrounding dating-app fatigue, slowing growth and changing user habits. Major platforms have been experimenting with new features and artificial intelligence as they look for ways to make online dating more engaging and focused on meaningful connections.
Bumble’s change is particularly significant because its original model was central to the company’s identity. For years, the app promoted an experience in which women had greater control over starting conversations in heterosexual matches, separating Bumble from competitors where either person could typically message first.
The company says giving everyone the ability to initiate a conversation doesn’t prevent women from making the first move. Instead, it gives individual users more freedom to decide how a new connection begins.
The update represents a major new chapter for Bumble, as one of the dating world’s most recognizable apps moves away from the feature that originally helped put it on the map.
(Photo illustration by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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