Bumble borrows a major feature from social media to shake up the dating landscape
Forget stumbling across your perfect match on a dating app by chance. Thanks to a new Bumble feature, you can look them up directly—as long as you know their username. With Bumble’s new Handles feature, the app is taking a page from the social media playbook. For the first time, prospective matches can opt in to having unique user IDs (similar to usernames on apps like Instagram or X) that can be…
Bumble is shaking up the dating scene by introducing a new feature called Handles, which functions similarly to usernames on social media platforms like Instagram or X. Users in the United States on iOS can now create unique user IDs that can be searched for, giving them more control over their dating experience. This move follows a trend of dating apps incorporating social features, such as Tinder's Events feature and Goose's Instagram-inspired profile grids.
The Handles feature allows users to share their dating profile directly, replacing the need for phone numbers or social media exchanges. Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd believes that handles offer a more private and professional way to begin dating, as users' personal and professional networks may not be the ideal starting points for romance.
Users can also disable their handles at any time to prevent discovery. As dating apps continue to expand their social features, Bumble's introduction of Handles reflects the industry's shift towards a more social and personalized platform, even as the company faces challenges, such as a significant drop in stock value since its initial public offering.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
