Bumble is a dating app where women make the first move. The app which was created by a former Tinder employee, Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014 was designed to change the rules of dating and empower women to take charge of conversations in both their personal and professional lives.
Before Bumble, the idea of a woman making the first move was unheard of in the online dating space. Taking a look at the history of online dating platforms, one would see that men have always been given the upper hand in terms of initiating conversations or getting the ball rolling. It is fair to say that the online dating space was purely misogynistic until Bumble came along and changed the rules of the game.
Bumble is popularly described as a dating app for feminists. It uses a behavior monitoring algorithm that is designed to reduce online harassment and essentially weed out jerks in general. This Bumble review is everything you need to decide whether to get on the platform and start swiping.
How Does Bumble Work?
The app lets users use the concept of swiping, which has now become a standard for online dating apps, to show interest or disinterest in other users. Typically, swiping to the right means you’re interested in a user while swiping to the left means you’re not interested in a user.
When two users swipe to the right on each other’s profile, then a match is made. Women have 24 hours to message the men first when a match is made, after which the men also have 24 hours to reply if they are interested. If a woman fails to make a move within 24 hours or the man fails to respond within 24 hours, the connection disappears forever.
Bumble also supports same-sex dating. The rules are a bit different in the sense that either person can initiate the conversation. However, the 24 hours response rule still applies here. The time restriction solves the online dating problem of matches not going anywhere as it encourages users to take action.
The app also has a feature known as “Admirers” which allows users to take a peek at users who have swiped to the right on your profile but you haven’t swiped to the left or right on them yet.
Bumble Is More Than A Dating App
This Bumble review would not be complete if we focus squarely on the dating aspect of the app. Though it started originally as a dating app designed to empower women, it has moved beyond being just an app for meeting exciting new dating prospects.
Bumble launched a new service, in 2016, known as Bumble BFF to help users meet new friends around their city. Bumble BFF is best described as a platonic option of the dating app. It uses the swiping concept still, but for platonic reasons. Whether you are new to a city or looking to expand your social circle, Bumble BFF is an easy way to create meaningful friendships.
In 2017, Bumble further took a bold step by launching another service known as Bizz for business networking. Users can swipe through nearby connections, but unlike seeing selfies in the dating section, users see headshots, resumes, and work portfolios. When a match is made, the woman gets to make the first move.
Both Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz were launched inside the main Bumble app. So basically, the Bumble app is a super app with three components – Bumble Date, Bumble BFF, and Bumble Bizz. Users do not need to download separate apps to access all three services. They have the option of switching from dating to finding friends and connecting with business partners.
How To Get Started With Bumble
Just like other dating apps, Bumble is accessible on iOS and Android devices. The sign-up process is relatively easy. If you are already a Facebook user, it is even a lot easier as Bumble encourages users to sign up using their Facebook account. When you select this method, the app imports your data from Facebook, eliminating the need to fill any registration form.
Aside from being able to sign up using Facebook, there is an option to use your phone number instead. So for readers of this Bumble review who do not have a Facebook account or are skeptical about signing up with their Facebook account, the phone number option works just fine and is also easy. You only input your phone number, after which an SMS containing your verification is sent, then the profile creation begins.
Bumble also has a web version known as Bumble Web for users who, for one reason or the other, do not want to download the app. The features on the web version are almost the same as what you would get when using the app on an iOS or Android device.
Free or Paid?
When compared to other dating apps in terms of pricing, most Bumble review, including this one, would swipe right. On Bumble, swiping, matching, and chatting with other users is free. Some of the features they give away for free are considered “premium features” on other dating apps.
Bumble, however, also have two premium subscription service – Bumble Boost and Bumble Premium – for people who want to get additional features.
Bumble Boost is a premium service for busy people. You would recall that earlier in this Bumble review, we talked about its time restriction feature which stipulates that women must initiate a conversation within 24 hours after a match, while men (or women in the case of the same sex) must respond to the chat within 24 hours too or else the connection is lost forever. With Bumble Boost, you are given additional 24 hours after the first one elapses (That is 48 hours to respond). Other features allow you to rematch with expired connections, put your profile on Spotlight which makes you viewable to more people instantly for 30 minutes, and reconsider a profile you initially swiped left on.
Bumble Premium gives you just about the same thing you would get on Bumble Boost plus some other additional features. With Bumble Premium, you can see your admirers instantly. You can view everyone who swiped right on your profile without needing to swipe right on them too. Premium includes the ability to activate Incognito Mode, which allows you to only get seen by the people who you swipe right on.
Both Bumble Boot and Bumble Premium give you a feature called SuperSwiped. Essentially, it lets you stand out from other people who also swiped right on a profile by indicating to the person that you are much more interested in them than others.
Bumble Boost costs $14.99 per month while Bumble Premium costs $32.99 per month. You have the option of subscribing for just a week too. The weekly subscription goes for $7.99 and $17.99 respectively. It is handy if you just want to test the waters.
Bumble Review In A Nutshell
Bumble is a dating app that gives women the power to make the first move. Since that is the case, the platform significantly lowers issues on harassment against women which is often the case on dating platforms.
Aside from being a dating app, Bumble also promotes friendship and helps users make professional connections. It suffices to say, that Bumble is an all-rounder app for making meaningful relationships.
