Bumble Unveils New Features and Interest Badges for Better Connections

Bumble, the women-first dating app, has introduced a range of new features designed to provide users with greater choice, compatibility, and personalisation in their dating experiences. These updates, now available globally, include innovative ways for Bumble’s community to express themselves and initiate conversations.

New Features Include:

• Multiple Opening Moves: Users can now select up to three Opening Moves for matches to respond to, providing creative options for deeper engagement.
• Image-Based Opening Moves: Users can kickstart conversations with a photo and caption, adding personality to their interactions. Members can mix text and image-based Opening Moves for a total of three on their profile.
• Interest Badge Filters: Users can filter matches by their selected interests, displayed on their profiles, to enhance compatibility and connection.
• 30+ New Interest Badges: Bumble has introduced fresh, culturally relevant badges—such as memes, houseplants, and mocktails—many of which were sourced from the community to keep conversations relevant and engaging.

Data-Driven Insights

Bumble emphasises that quality conversations go beyond simple greetings; they involve meaningful exchanges that can develop into deeper connections. The app’s updates aim to facilitate more authentic interactions and move past standard openers.

Since the introduction of Opening Moves, Bumble has reported a ~29% increase in chat initiation among US members and a ~77% rise in quality conversations globally. Notably, around 90% of members on Bumble have selected at least two interest badges, with a majority (60%) utilising all five interest badges on their profiles.

In India, the top five most used Opening Moves are:

• What's your dream vacation destination?
• What's your ideal first date?
• What's the last thing that made you smile?
• What’s something I wouldn’t know from your profile?
• What does your perfect weekend look like?

Amanda McAlister, Principal Product Lead at Bumble, remarked, “Opening Moves has been a transformative feature for our community, enhancing the way people connect. By offering more personalised ways to initiate conversations, we’re seeing quicker and more frequent connections. As the dating landscape evolves, so do we, and these features enable members to match based on genuinely shared interests.”