Texting anybody first is a chore and texting a match first on a dating app is added pressure that nobody asked for, yet here we are. To take that women-first pressure off, dating app Bumble recently introduced a new feature called Opening Moves that allows women to set up questions that their matches can respond to.
"You can choose from a list of suggested Opening Moves that cover a variety of fun topics, from ‘What’s your ideal first date?’ to 'How many episodes of a series is it acceptable to watch in one sitting'?" Bumble said in a blog post.
For non-binary and same-gender connections, either person can set and respond to prompts. Now, while women are still in charge of whom they make conversation with, the stress of delivering the perfect icebreaker is off the table. Once men respond, women have 24 hours to decide if they want to move forward or not.
How the new feature works
To set up an Opening Move feature, tap on the grey silhouette in the bottom left corner of the app screen. Then select "Edit profile" or "Complete my profile", which will let you add a question. Users can either choose from a list of questions already provided or can craft their own. Alternatively, you can also set it up when you match with someone or can add it within the chat screen.
"Many have shared their exhaustion with the current online dating experience, and for some, that includes making the first move. We're also hearing from women that empowerment today is not only about control but it’s also about agency,” Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble said in a statement.
Also Read: Tinder launches free online course on interpersonal consent on Coursera
Users on social media have mixed reactions on the new feature.
@H4RRYSCINEMA thinks it's a little lame, as nobody is answering the moves and she is still stuck making the first move.
Another user wrote:
@sparklemidi had several GPT-generated responses to her move and the idea of a witty conversation starter, in case that, is more or less pointless. Might as well let the chatbots talk to themselves.
@jvquantum is excited to see how the feature works out and for letting women off the hook (well, kind of).
During testing, Bumble said that it discovered that Opening Moves boosted meaningful discussions on the app by raising chat initiation and respond rates while also increasing conversation duration.
"You can choose from a list of suggested Opening Moves that cover a variety of fun topics, from ‘What’s your ideal first date?’ to 'How many episodes of a series is it acceptable to watch in one sitting'?" Bumble said in a blog post.
For non-binary and same-gender connections, either person can set and respond to prompts. Now, while women are still in charge of whom they make conversation with, the stress of delivering the perfect icebreaker is off the table. Once men respond, women have 24 hours to decide if they want to move forward or not.
How the new feature works
To set up an Opening Move feature, tap on the grey silhouette in the bottom left corner of the app screen. Then select "Edit profile" or "Complete my profile", which will let you add a question. Users can either choose from a list of questions already provided or can craft their own. Alternatively, you can also set it up when you match with someone or can add it within the chat screen.
"Many have shared their exhaustion with the current online dating experience, and for some, that includes making the first move. We're also hearing from women that empowerment today is not only about control but it’s also about agency,” Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble said in a statement.
Also Read: Tinder launches free online course on interpersonal consent on Coursera
Users on social media have mixed reactions on the new feature.
@H4RRYSCINEMA thinks it's a little lame, as nobody is answering the moves and she is still stuck making the first move.
Another user wrote:
bumble is so lame what’s the point of having an opening question for ur matches yet i’m still stuck making the first move bc they don’t answer it
— alex 🍒🎧 (@H4RRYSCINEMA) May 10, 2024
@sparklemidi had several GPT-generated responses to her move and the idea of a witty conversation starter, in case that, is more or less pointless. Might as well let the chatbots talk to themselves.
Asked this question as the opening move on Bumble. Shocking how every guy gave the GPT generated answer for it. Sigh. https://t.co/dSyrP2yhSX
— sushi (@sparklemidi) May 4, 2024
@jvquantum is excited to see how the feature works out and for letting women off the hook (well, kind of).
Bumble finally lets women off the hook for making the first move. Cheers to the end of awkward opening lines and overthinking messages! Now, let's sit back, relax, and wait for those creative, witty icebreakers to roll in. 🎉
— JV Quantum (@jvquantum) April 30, 2024
During testing, Bumble said that it discovered that Opening Moves boosted meaningful discussions on the app by raising chat initiation and respond rates while also increasing conversation duration.
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