- Bumble has launched a new 'opening move' tool as part of huge app update
- This allows users - both male and female - to start the conversation
By Shivali Best For Mailonline
Published: | Updated:
It's been one of its key features since it launched back in 2014.
But Bumble has finally ditched the long-standing requirement for female users to make the first move.
The dating app has announced a major app update and redesign, including a new 'opening move' tool.
This allows users - both male and female - to set a question for their matches to answer as a way of starting the conversation.
Lidiane Jones, Bumble's chief executive, said: 'We have always believed that when you make dating better for women, you make it better for everyone. In listening to our community, many have shared their exhaustion with the current online dating experience, and for some, that includes making the first move.'
It's been one of its key features since it launched back in 2014. But Bumble has finally ditched the long-standing requirement for female users to make the first move
The dating app has announced a major app update and redesign, including a new 'opening move' tool
READ MORE:Dating app expert reveals exactly the best time to be online to guarantee the perfect match
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'We're also hearing from women that empowerment today is not only about control but it's also about agency, and we're excited to offer more choice in how women make the first move with our new opening moves feature,' Ms Jones continued.
'We want to evolve with our community, shifting from a fixed approach to giving women more options in how they engage.'
Bumble will include a number of recommended opening moves, or users will be able to craft their own.
In addition, the app has added dating intentions badges to profiles, allowing users to show what they're looking for.
As a further part of its redesign and in an effort to boost compatibility, Bumble said it would also start highlighting common interests and shared favourite musical artists at the top of profiles to help users find potential matches faster.
As a further part of its redesign and in an effort to boost compatibility, Bumble said it would also start highlighting common interests and shared favourite musical artists at the top of profiles to help users find potential matches faster
The company said it was also updating its compatibility algorithms and had increased the minimum number of photos required on a profile.
Ms Jones said the new features were designed to further improve safety for women and build on the app's original aim of upsetting traditional gender roles and challenging existing dating rules.
'Bumble has been leading in addressing the challenges of online spaces, introducing industry-first features like Private Detector to identify unsolicited lewd images, AI and machine learning to identify scams and spam, and comprehensive community guidelines,' she said.
'This latest launch reflects the first step in our continued commitment to making dating better for women, creating space for people to establish relationship dynamics that work for them.'
HOW DID ONLINE DATING BECOME SO POPULAR?
The first ever incarnation of a dating app can be traced back to 1995 when Match.com was first launched.
The website allowed single people to upload a profile, a picture and chat to people online.
The app was intended to allow people looking for long-term relationships to meet.
eHarmony was developed in 2000 and two years later Ashley Madison, a site dedicated to infidelity and cheating, was first launched.
A plethora of other dating sites with a unique target demographic were set up in the next 10-15 years including: OKCupid (2004), Plenty of Fish (2006), Grindr (2009) and Happn (2013).
In 2012, Tinder was launched and was the first 'swipe' based dating platform.
After its initial launch it's usage snowballed and by March 2014 there were one billion matches a day, worldwide.
In 2014, co-founder of Tinder, Whitney Wolfe Herd launched Bumble, a dating app that empowered women by only allowing females to send the first message.
The popularity of mobile dating apps such as Tinder, Badoo and more recently Bumble is attributable to a growing amount of younger users with a busy schedule.
In the 1990s, there was a stigma attached to online dating as it was considered a last-ditch and desperate attempt to find love.
This belief has dissipated and now around one third of marriages are between couples who met online.
A survey from 2014 found that 84 per cent of dating app users were using online dating services to look for a romantic relationship.
Twenty-four per cent stated that that they used online dating apps explicitly for sexual encounters.
Bumble
