Bumble is making a significant change to its messaging mechanics. Moving away from its original "women message first" setup, any person of any gender can now send the first message after a match. However, the conversation does not officially open until the other person chooses to reply.

To combat lazy openers, Bumble will detect one-word messages and nudge users to write more intentional content. This change aims to increase confidence, with research suggesting 62 percent of men and women feel more confident when they have a choice in how conversations begin.

This update simplifies the experience and helps Bumble compete in the AI era against Tinder, which remains the top dating app in the US. As part of its broader strategy, founder Whitney Wolfe Herd has indicated that AI and in-person events are central to the company's future. The new rules launched on August 11, giving recipients 72 hours to reply.