Bumble adds another element to its time limits

Men now have time limits too

If you’re not familiar with Bumble, women have always had 24 hours to send the first message once a match is made. But now men have to respond within 24 hours. Here are a few things to know about this new feature:

1. It’s meant to level the playing field

According to this Mashable article:

Bumble wants to make it an “even keel” experience, says Wolfe. “She was held to 24 hours to reach out to you. We feel it’s only fair you’re confined to the same rules.”

The app has been hailed as a feminist answer to online dating, in which women are empowered to make the first move if they choose. It also helps prevent aggressive and demeaning messages that litter the web on accounts like @tindernightmares.

2. It’s supposed to cut down on ghosting, but it might not

According to this article in Bustle:

A lot of my friends’ one complaint about Bumble is that it still gives the men control. They know the woman has chosen to message them within 24 hours of the match, and then they get an ego boost off that since they can decide whether or not to reply. Basically, women still sometimes feel like they’re left hanging.

Now, that’s always going to happen to some degree — disappearing and ghosting are just a part of online dating— but including a time limit for men too should shake them up a bit and encourage them to reply.

3. Many other apps have already implemented time limits

According to this article from Huffington Post UK:

Bumble isn’t the first site to implement a time limit to respond. Dating app Hinge gives users 24 hours to say something, 14 days to exchange phone numbers and then the match disappears completely.

These time limits typically don’t go over well with app users.

Some reaction from social media

Yo, @bumble_app is ??? now that they've imposed a time limit for dudes to chat back. Response rates are drastically higher ?

— HOLLZ. (@hollyhannahhh) April 26, 2016

@bumble_app The timer makes the app much less appealing for busy parents/businesspeople. I used to love the app before this. Bummer.

— Philip Murphy (@ThePhilipMurphy) April 28, 2016

@ThePhilipMurphy @bumble_app This is actually how I feel about the initial timer for women. 48 hours would be better than 24.

— Katherine (@purekatherine) May 1, 2016