Bumble drops women-first messaging rule amid user fatigue

Bumble: Either person in a match will now be able to send the first message, ending a feature that required women to initiate conversations in heterosexual matches. 

Bumble is scrapping the women-first messaging rule that has defined the dating app since its launch more than a decade ago.

The company announced on Tuesday that either person in a match will now be able to send the first message, ending a feature that required women to initiate conversations in heterosexual matches.

The changes come as dating apps face increasing competition for users' attention and growing fatigue with traditional swipe-based platforms.

Companies across the sector have introduced new features and artificial intelligence tools in an effort to encourage engagement and reverse slowing growth.

The change marks a significant shift for Bumble, which built its brand around giving women control over who starts a conversation. Bumble began in 2014 with the women-first message rule a core part of its brand.

The dating app said trials of the new system in Canada resulted in more conversations being started, fewer matches expiring without interaction and more mutual engagement between users.

Bumble is also extending the time users have to reply to a match from 24 hours to 72 hours in a bid to encourage more conversations.

Founder and chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd said users had been calling for "more flexibility, less pressure, and more opportunities to create real, meaningful connections".

Earlier this month, Bumble reported a decline in paying users and forecast quarterly revenue below market expectations.

Reuters