Bumble is a dating app designed to empower women. Matches can occur when both you and another user swipe right, or when a matched connection makes the first move within 24 hours.
Users can add photos, a short bio, and various conversation-starting prompts. They can also verify their identity through a selfie.
How it works
Users set up a profile with photos and a short bio. Then Bumble serves up profiles (called the Match Queue) based on your preferences and locations. You can refine your queue further by using filters. If you swipe right on a profile, that indicates interest; if you swipe left, that doesn’t. Once both parties express interest, a match is formed. Matches are allowed to message each other for 24 hours, after which time their connection expires. Paid subscriptions (called Boost and Premium) extend the number of matches you receive and provide additional features, such as photo enhancement and profile verification.
If you’re unsure whether Bumble is for you, the app provides a Safety & Wellbeing tab that offers tips and resources to help you stay safe online. You can also pause your account if you need a break from online dating; Bumble will still show you profiles, but won’t let other people see yours until you return.
Getting started
After setting your profile and preferences, it’s time to start swiping! You can swipe left to dislike someone, or right to like them. If they like you back, the app will notify you with a blurred square with a heart, which is called their Beeline(opens in new tab).
After a match, you have 24 hours to send your first message before your connection disappears. To help you come up with a great opening line, the app provides creative icebreakers, like Question Games and GIFs, that will give your match a fun way to begin the conversation.
Bumble also lets you set two out of 11 Advanced Filters to sift through potential matches more quickly. You can also pay for a premium membership to unlock even more perks, including unlimited swipes, one Spotlight(opens in new tab) per week (putting your profile at the top of the swiping “stack”), and five SuperSwipes(opens in new tab) a week.
Matches
Bumble matches people in the same way as other apps – you swipe right on profiles you like and left on those you don’t. If both parties swipe right on each other’s profile, the match is made and they can begin messaging one another. The big difference is that in heterosexual matches men can’t message a woman first, which was created to inspire women to make the first move and help combat issues with gender imbalance in online dating.
You can also “Super swipe” on a profile, which alerts that person that you like their profile and gives them priority in your match deck for 30 minutes. Similarly, you can pay to boost your profile or get the app’s “Spotlight” feature that increases visibility for 24 hours.
The top of the app shows your Match queue and, if you’re on Premium, your Beeline (a list of potential matches who haven’t expired yet). The clocks on each match fade as that time runs out.
Conversations
Bumble works similar to apps like Tinder but with one major twist – women must make the first move. Users will be matched with profiles based on their stated preferences and locations. They can then swipe right to “like” a profile or left to pass. If both parties like each other it will show as a match and they will be given 24 hours to message each other. Message windows can be extended through upgrades.
Bumble also offers unique chat features such as Night In where you can team up with a potential match for a virtual game of trivia or a slumber party video call. Alternatively, users can use Hints to give their match a quick nudge about what they should ask or talk about in a message.
If you don’t feel a connection with your match or want to take a break from Bumble, simply hit the Snooze button on your profile. Alternatively, you can also use the Bee Key on your profile to gain access to Buzzing Events – although there is no information as to what these events actually are.