Men will soon be able to message first on Bumble

Bumble, the dating app originally designed to empower women, is set to allow men to initiate conversations first, according to the company's latest earnings call. Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd announced this change, emphasizing that users will only be able to send one opening message, which will only progress after the recipient responds. This alteration comes as Bumble has been gradually moving away from the "women make the first move" model, which was initially established when Wolfe Herd founded the app in 2014.

In addition to this new feature, Bumble is extending the time limit for responding to the initial message, increasing it from 24 to 72 hours. This modification aims to address complaints from users who had previously expressed frustration with the 24-hour window. The changes will be implemented globally by the end of the month.

Aside from this shift in conversational dynamics, Bumble is also prioritizing real-life experiences. The company's co-founder announced a new feature called Plans, set to launch as a standalone app, which will focus on facilitating group meetups. Bumble is also integrating artificial intelligence more heavily into the platform. The company's AI dating assistant, Bee, will serve as the intelligence behind the app, rather than replacing the traditional swiping feature.

Bee's purpose is to generate more immediate interactions and better outcomes, mimicking real-life experiences and minimizing the friction typically present in current dating app models.

While early feedback from Gen Z and millennial users has been positive, the changes come at a time when Bumble's total revenue and paying users have been declining. In Q2 2026, revenue and paying users decreased by 15.2% and 16.4% compared to the same period in 2025. Furthermore, the company is facing an unspecified delay in the rollout of its AI dating assistant, Bee, which was initially planned for the second quarter of 2026.

Despite these challenges, Bumble remains committed to maintaining its "human-first" approach. The app is also overhauling its free experience, offering limited access to the paid feature "Like You," and re-architecting its subscription model to include a new higher-tier subscription aimed at users seeking mutual, serious intentions.