Is Bumble rethinking of ‘women make first move’ feature? New CEO hints at changes

Bumble, a decade-old dating app known for its "women make the first move" feature, may change the feature under new CEO Lidiane Jones. Jones hinted at reevaluating this aspect during a recent earnings call, considering options like pre-written messages for women or allowing men to initiate conversations. This potential shift reflects ongoing discussions to adapt to user preferences.

A decade-old, popular dating app ‘Bumble’ is likely to change its "women make the first move" feature, following hints from the dating app's new CEO, Lidiane Jones. Bumble, the dating app founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd with a strong emphasis on empowering women, may undergo significant alterations under the leadership of Lidiane Jones, who assumed the CEO position in November.

During a recent Q4 earnings call, Jones raised eyebrows by suggesting a reevaluation of the app's signature feature. She hinted that the concept of women initiating conversations might no longer be a core aspect of Bumble's user experience. The current setup of Bumble allows only female users to initiate conversations with male matches within a 24-hour timeframe. However, Jones expressed concerns that this approach might feel burdensome to certain segments of the app's user base.

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According to a report on MSN, the discussion around potentially scrapping this feature isn't entirely new. Talks of reevaluation began under the previous CEO, Wolfe Herd. However, under Jones' leadership, Bumble seems to be actively considering various options for a relaunch later this year, 

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One option being explored involves providing pre-written messages for women to send as initial icebreakers, akin to the AI-generated prompts already available on Bumble for its platonic counterpart, Bumble Friends. Another potential change includes allowing men to initiate conversations, deviating from the app's current structure.

If Bumble were to abandon the "women make the first move" dynamic, it would mark a significant departure from its original ethos. However, for some users, especially those who find the current setup restrictive, such a shift might be a welcome change. These deliberations underscore the competitive nature of the modern dating app landscape, where companies continually experiment with different features and payment structures to attract users.