August 13, 2026, 2:16 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Since August 11, 2026, new rules for starting a conversation apply on Bumble. The dating app has changed a feature that has set it apart from many competitors since its launch in 2014. Previously, only women could send the first message after a match. Now, both parties can initiate the conversation.
According to the company, Bumble is responding to changing expectations in online dating. The decision is based on a survey commissioned by the company of 1,000 singles aged 18 to 35 in Germany. It showed that 55 percent of women feel more secure when they decide when a conversation begins. At the same time, younger women, in particular, viewed it positively when men could also make the first move.
New Rules for Starting Conversations
Despite the change, Bumble does not completely abandon guidelines. While both people can send a first message after a match, the actual chat only fully starts when this message is answered. Additionally, the platform wants to prevent conversations from starting with uninformative messages. Those who send just a single word or a very short message receive a prompt encouraging them to make the conversation starter more personal.
Bumble is also adjusting the previous rules for response times. While previously a response was required within 24 hours, the time window will now extend to 72 hours. According to the company, product tests were well received. More than half of the respondents stated that the longer deadline improved their experience with the app.
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Tests Show More Conversations
According to Bumble, tests in Canada led to users starting conversations more frequently. The effect was particularly pronounced among women. There, an initial message more often developed into an actual conversation.
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According to the company, the number of conversations among women increased more than twice as much as among men. At the same time, 92 percent of the women surveyed said they still felt in control of the situation.
Investors React Positively to the Change
The announcement was also positively received on the stock market. Bumble’s stock (BMBL) rose by 5 percent on August 11, 2026.
Despite this increase, the year-to-date development remains negative. According to the company, the stock is still down about 22 percent since the beginning of the year. Over the past twelve months, the stock has also lost more than 55 percent of its value.