Bumble’s app redesign lets women automate conversation starters

Bumble’s redesigned dating app has a new feature “Opening Movement” this supposedly takes the legwork out of starting conversations. Women on the app can now choose from a list of pre-written requests – or create their own – that the app will send to all their matches.

Unlike dating apps like Tinder and Hinge, Bumble allows women to make the first move when they get a date. The new opening motion option should at least make it less intimidating (and less time-consuming) to send your first few messages.

Some of the pre-written instructions include questions like “Who is your dream dinner guest (real or fictional)?” or “What do you like about my profile?” Once the match responds, women can choose whether or not to continue the conversation, which will expire after 24 hours if no move is made.

Bumble notes that for same-sex and non-binary matches, any user can set or respond to an opening move. “In listening to our community, many shared their exhaustion with the current online dating experience, and for some, that includes making the first move,” Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones said in a statement. “We want to evolve with our community, moving away from a fixed approach to giving women more options in how they engage.”

Along with a new opening move option, Bumble is adding “dating intent” badges, which are displayed on users’ profiles to help potential partners know what they’re looking for. Bumble will now allow users to choose up to two badges, such as “fun and casual dating,” “commitment-free intimacy,” “life partner,” and “ethical non-monogamy.”

Additionally, Bumble will display common interests and favorite musicians at the top of profiles to make it easier to sift through potential matches. It also now requires users to upload four photos when creating an account, instead of two. Users with fewer than four images will not appear in Bumble’s For You (formerly Best Bees) algorithm, which presents four daily profiles based on the user’s preferences and past matches.