‘Intentions’ badges introduced as dating app sector diversifies amidst share price declines
“In the end, it was the data that led me to leave,” says Penny* about her decision to quit the dating app Bumble. Upon opening the app, she might receive 100 likes, of which 25% she might find interesting. After examining their profiles, she would craft individualized messages; a few would respond, and perhaps one would lead to a date.
“That’s a significant effort for just one date,” she remarks. “It’s exhausting.”
Bumble, initially hailed as the feminist alternative to Tinder when it debuted in 2014, recently announced measures to ease the burden on its female users. It now offers them the choice of sending a brief pre-written question to potential dates instead of a carefully crafted message, following feedback from 70% of its female users who reported feeling burnt out.
Although it still requires women to initiate contact, the app now allows female users to send pre-written questions, like “What book or film changed the way you think?”, using its Opening Moves feature.
“We’ve long held the belief that improving the dating experience for women improves it for everyone,” stated Lidiane Jones, Bumble’s new CEO. “After hearing from our community, many expressed their fatigue with the current online dating dynamic, including the pressure to initiate contact.”
She added, “Empowerment isn’t just about control; it’s also about agency.” That’s why Bumble is offering “more options for how women can initiate conversations.” According to a press release, during testing, this feature resulted in higher response rates and longer conversations.
Dr. Rachel Katz, a digital media sociologist at the University of Salford, notes that research indicates women spend significantly more time and effort than men when screening potential matches before swiping right.
“Given the extra effort women put into dating apps in terms of time and energy,” she explains, “having to make the first move is an added expenditure of energy. I believe this contributes to the exhaustion that many people, especially women, describe experiencing with dating apps.”
This sentiment resonates with Penny, who shares, “I didn’t just send generic messages. I made an effort to demonstrate that I had read their profile, showing genuine interest and humor. Yet, I often received only a ‘Hey’ in response, despite the effort I put into crafting my messages.”
However, while positioned as a step to ease the burden on female users, the change likely also responds to market pressures that have posed significant challenges for major players in the dating app industry recently.
Bumble, which appointed Jones to replace founder Whitney Wolfe Herd in January, has seen its share price plummet by 86% since 2021. Similarly, the Match Group, which owns Tinder, OK Cupid, and Hinge, has faced steep declines. This follows reports from November last year indicating a 6% drop in Tinder’s paying subscribers over 12 months.
“Looking at the share prices tells you all you need to know about this shift,” commented an industry insider, pointing to market saturation and challenging economic conditions. “These are large corporate entities making decisions based on financial performance.”
Bumble has additionally revealed its plans to introduce new “dating intentions” badges, such as “intimacy without commitment,” “life partner,” and “ethical non-monogamy.” This decision comes after a survey showed that two-thirds of women using the app found it challenging when others were not transparent about their intentions.
“I believe dating apps are starting to mirror real-life trends,” says Emma Sayle, founder of the upscale sex party organizer Killing Kittens, which recently launched the online community and dating site WeAreX for the “open-minded.” “We’ve been in this space for 19 years and have witnessed the growth in sexual and gender diversity from the beginning.”
Other dating platforms are also expanding their offerings, providing matching services for friendships and organizing events for singles. According to Eventbrite, the number of dating or singles events in the UK has doubled since before the pandemic began.
Despite warnings of dating app fatigue, the apps remain popular, at least for now. According to the Pew Research Centre, the percentage of Americans using any type of dating site or app has remained unchanged since 2020, at 30%. Among those under 30, the figure is 53%.
Penny is currently not eager to return to the dating scene, even if the effort required is less burdensome. “I’m searching for a platform where the other person is making all the effort to catch my interest,” she explains. “I haven’t come across it yet.”
