Bumble drops women-first messaging rule to boost engagement

Dating app Bumble said on Tuesday it will now allow either person in a match to send the first message, ending the women-first messaging rule that has defined the platform since its 2014 launch.

Until now, only women could initiate conversations in heterosexual matches on Bumble — a feature that set it apart from rivals.

The change comes as dating-app companies face user fatigue with traditional swipe-based platforms and slowing growth. To counter that, firms including Bumble and Match Group, which owns Tinder, have been rolling out new features and AI-powered tools aimed at improving engagement.

Bumble did not specify when the new messaging option will roll out to all users.