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Dating app Bumble says it will get rid of its hallmark rule that prevents men from making the first move.
Effective immediately, men will be able to start conversations with women on the dating app, the company said in a news release Tuesday. All users will also be able to respond to first messages within 72 hours, up from 24 hours, it said.
“While women making the first move was a radical idea, being women-first was never about prescribing just one way to connect. It was about designing an experience with women’s needs in mind to create better outcomes for everyone,” founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in a statement. “Today, our community is asking for more flexibility, less pressure, and more opportunities to create real, meaningful connections and that is what this new experience provides.”
The new changes for the dating app, which launched in 2014, come amid slow growth in the online dating sector and reports that the company is exploring a sale. The company also laid off 30% of its global workforce last year.
Bumble and competitor Tinder, owned by Match Group, have reported consecutive declining rates of paying users, revenue and stock slumps in recent years.
Bumble did not immediately reply to a request for comment on whether the changes were related to the wider business.
It said in the news release that nearly two-thirds of women surveyed on Bumble say they prefer men to send the first message.
“This evolution reflects a continued commitment to creating an experience that alleviates pressure and delivers greater confidence and better outcomes for our community informed by years of member feedback, product testing, and behavioral insights,” the company said.
Gay men and lesbians have always been able to send first messages without restrictions.
Bumble added that more than half of the people the company surveyed preferred having more time to respond to first messages.
“This evolution also addresses a growing reality of modern dating as people are busier than ever and meaningful opportunities to connect are often lost due to timing, not lack of interest,” it said.
Three in 10 Americans report having used an online dating website or app, according to the Pew Research Center.
I’m a reporter on NBC News’ breaking news team, covering crime, extreme weather, pop culture and more. I recently covered Hurricane Milton, which devastated the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, and the student-led protests at Columbia University.
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