Bumble scraps signature rule and now allows men to make first move on dating app

Dating app Bumble announced on Tuesday that it would be getting 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 press release. All users will also have the ability to respond to first messages within 72 hours, up from 24 hours, the company 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,” Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO of Bumble, 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 return a request for comment on whether the new changes were related to the wider business.

In the press release, the company said 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 on the app 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,” the company said.

Three in ten Americans report having used an online dating website or app, according to the Pew Research Center.