The change marks a major shift for a platform that built its identity around putting women in control of that first interaction when it launched in 2014. Bumble says its research found that 66 percent of women surveyed preferred men to send the first message. Bumble had already started loosening its signature rule in 2024 with Opening Moves, which allowed women to place a question on their profile that male matches could answer first. The overhaul comes as Bumble and other dating apps face declining engagement and growing frustration with swipe-based dating. After more than a decade of ladies going first, Bumble is essentially putting the ball in everyone’s court.