Bumble (app)

Bumble
Developer(s) Bumble Trading Inc
Initial release December 2014 (2014-12)
Development status Active
Operating system Apple iOS (iOS 8.0 or later), Android
Type Social Networking
Website bumble.com

Bumble is a location-based social and dating application which facilitates communication between interested users. The app permits only women to start a chat with their matches.

History

The co-founder of Tinder, Whitney Wolfe, founded Bumble. Wolfe created the app after leaving Tinder due to alleged sexual harassment by her co-founder and ex-boyfriend Justin Mateen.[1] Wolfe sued the company and settled for just over $1 million in September 2014.[1] Amidst the media attention surrounding the lawsuit, acquaintance and Badoo co-founder Andrey Andreev reached out to Wolfe via email, and the two met up.[2] Andreev suggested she get back into the dating space, and together they recruited fellow Tinder departees Chris Gulzcynski and Sarah Mick to launch Bumble.[2] Bumble was launched three months later in December 2014.[3] The app's headquarters are currently located in Austin, Texas and has just 13 employees, 12 of them women.[4]

Operation

How it works

Bumble uses Facebook to build a user profile with photos and basic information, including the user's college and job. Women must initiate the conversation of their matches or the matches disappear within 24 hours; either person in a same-sex match can reach out.[5]

Features

Features include the ability to favorite conversations, to sort conversations, to send photo messages, and to swipe, which allows users to "like" potential matches by swiping right and to swipe left to continue on their search.[6][7] Bumble released a "backtrack" feature in 2015 that allows users to undo accidental left swipes by shaking their phones. Three free "backtracks" are provided initially, which are replenished every three hours. Users have the option to immediately receive a new set of three backtracks by sharing Bumble on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, although they are limited to one of these refills per day.[8][9] There is a 24 hour time frame on matches in which a conversation must be started or else the match disappears.

Users

Bumble had a reported 7 million users as of July 2016. [10] Wolfe has stated that within the app's first eight months it saw 5 million unique conversations initiated, all by women.[11] Women make up about 55% of all users, with 60% in the 18-25 year old range and the majority of others in the 25-35 range.[11] Bumble has also reported that its users spend an average of 62 minutes on the app daily.[12]

Reception

Feminist label

Bumble has been publicly hailed as a "feminist Tinder."[13][14] Its founder has confirmed this identity, calling the app "100 percent feminist," although she has attempted to distance the app from Tinder in interviews.[12][15] Wolfe shared in an interview with Vanity Fair the concept behind the app: "If you look at where we are in the current heteronormative rules surrounding dating, the unwritten rule puts the woman a peg under the man—the man feels the pressure to go first in a conversation, and the woman feels pressure to sit on her hands... If we can take some of the pressure off the man and put some of that encouragement in the woman’s lap, I think we are taking a step in the right direction, especially in terms of really being true to feminism. I think we are the first feminist, or first attempt at a feminist dating app."[12]

Reviews

Bumble has faced a mostly positive reception, however some reviewers have complained of the "off-putting" time restriction and its lack of LGBT-friendly interface.[16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 "Report: Ousted Tinder Cofounder Settled Her Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against The Company For 'Just Over $1 Million'". Business Insider. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 "What It's Like To Found A $750 Million Startup, Go Through A Sexual-Harassment Lawsuit, And Start All Over By Age 25". Business Insider. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Bumble is a dating app where women take lead". Thestar. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year. She just can't discuss parts of it.". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "Bumble Is Exactly Like Tinder Except Girls Are In Charge". techcrunch. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Bumble: The Feminist Tinder? Women Reach Out First Within 24 Hours". Ibi Times. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Bumble, The Sadie Hawkins Of Dating Apps, Introduces Direct Photo Messaging". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Bumble's New Backtrack Feature Lets You Take Back Accidental Left Swipes". techcrunch. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "I spent a week using five of the most popular dating apps — here's the one I unexpectedly liked the most". Business Insider. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  10. ↑ O'Brien, Sara Ashley (7 July 2016). "Dating app Bumble wants to help you network". CNNMoney. CNN.
  11. 1 2 "How apps like Bumble and Hinge are making dating better for women". Market Watch. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 "Meet the Tinder Co-Founder Trying to Change Online Dating Forever". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  13. ↑ "'Bumble' Dating App Is Essentially Feminist Tinder, And Here's Why You Should Download It". Bustle. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  14. ↑ "Meet the 25-year-old woman who made a 'feminist Tinder'". Hello Giggles. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  15. ↑ "Whitney Wolfe Wants to Beat Tinder at Its Own Game". Time. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "I tried 'feminist Tinder' and all I got was a bunch of weird push alerts". Fusion. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  17. ↑ "Bumble Dating App Lets Women Make the First Move". iPhone Life. Retrieved 22 February 2016.

External links

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