Dating app Bumble has changed its signature “women message first” rule, leaving some are confused.

On Aug. 11, Bumble announced anyone on the dating app can send the first message − no longer just women, and recipients now have up to 72 hours to respond, up from 24 hours.

Since its launch in 2014, Bumble has been known as the dating app where women have the authority to take charge first. Though men on the app could initiate a match, only women could send the first message − until now.

“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,” founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in a news release. “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.”

Why did Bumble change who can message first?

Many women prefer when men send the first message, Bumble says. In 2024, Bumble surveyed more than 2,200 women in the U.S. on the app and 66% said they prefer receiving the first message from a man, according to a news release.

Additionally, per a 2025 survey of 2,000 single respondents using dating apps in the U.S., nearly 66% of men and women said they feel more confident when they have a choice in how and when a conversation begins.

But more broadly, dating apps are experiencing a nosedive in usership, paid memberships and therefore, overall revenue.

On Aug. 5, Bumble reported its total revenue decreased 15% from 2025, with a net loss of $128 million, according to a quarterly financial report. More specifically, the platform saw a 16.4% decrease in paying users from 2025 to 2026.

The sentiment is similar at Match Group, which owns dating platforms like Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish. The company reported on Aug. 4 that total revenue was down 1% from 2025, though Hinge’s revenue grew by 22% from last year.

What is the internet saying about the Bumble change?

The change has left some users feeling confused about what now makes Bumble unique in comparison to other dating apps, like Tinder and Hinge, where all users have the ability to send a message first.

“I guess it’s abandoning its entire core purpose/selling point to expand it,” Emma Gillespie, features editor at The Daily Aus podcast, said in a recent episode. “Bumble is just like all other dating apps now.”

Similar sentiments were shared in the Bumble subReddit following the news.

“I thought the whole point was that it gave women the power to initiate the conversation and steer the direction at the beginning,” one Reddit user said. “That seems like a good thing, no? Give women more control and power over the initial encounter? Seems like a bad decision getting rid of it when it was like the main distinguishing point of the app.”

Another Reddit user commented: “Losing your differentiating factor that allowed you to service a niche as the best product in a massive industry will also hurt your app long term. Bumble will now become slop where men don’t message and women don’t message, so nobody meets and uninstalls. Why use it over Hinge or Tinder, which are both superior depending on what you want?”

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.