Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd As of 2014, Bumble has long been celebrated for its mission to empower women in the dating scene.However, the app is undergoing a significant transformation under Jones' leadership since he took over in November last year.
Business Insider reports that Jones dropped the bombshell during the recent fourth-quarter earnings conference call, saying, “This feels like a burden to a subset of our customers today.” Jones further said that she's no longer so sure about women “making the first move” on Bumble.
The relaunch, planned for the second quarter of 2024, will test new ways for users to connect without the pressure of women having to send a message first.
While the feature allowing men to text first is coming next year, men could already (sort of) text women first using “Compliments.”
Users, both men and women, benefit from three compliments free per week and they can write a message of up to 150 characters. Sending a compliment means doing a good job, and you can only start the conversation once the other person has responded to the compliment. Once someone exceeds your weekly quota, they can purchase more compliments.
Potential changes, as reported by Insider, include allowing men to message first or providing women with pre-written greetings to ease the burden of crafting the perfect opening line .
A Bumble representative, while remaining tight-lipped on the details of the relaunch, promised more details in the coming months.
Some users joked that the move could lead to an influx of 'hello' messages from men, while others are excited about the prospect of a more balanced approach to online dating.
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