Bumble launches its ‘Bumble For Friends’ friendship-finding app
The new launch comes as research from the app shows that 38 per cent of Gen Z’s in Ireland believe that platonic relationships are more important than the romantic kind
The online dating and networking app Bumble has launched a new standalone app for connecting with and making new friends.
‘Bumble For Friends’ creates a new way for people to grow their friendship circles by discovering meaningful connections in their local area that is separate from the Bumble dating app.
The new app follows the successful ‘BFF’ mode that has been available within the Bumble app since 2016, which features three modes for: romantic relationships (Date), platonic friendships (BFF), and business connections (Bizz).
Bumble For Friends is expected to be especially popular among Gen Z, as new research from the app reveals that 38 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds in Ireland believe that platonic relationships are more important than romantic relationships. However, 25 per cent are stuck in outdated friendships and 33 per cent are not satisfied with the ones they currently have.
The research found that while 57 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds in Ireland want to make new friends, almost a third feel prevented from doing so because they find it difficult to approach people in person, and a fear of being judged.
“Friendship has always been a critical part of Bumble’s goal to living a healthy and happy life. With feelings of loneliness and isolation at an all-time high, now more than ever is a time to prioritise self-love and friendships for our well being.
“Having a dedicated Bumble For Friends app that’s separate from the dating experience makes friendship-finding easier for people looking to make meaningful platonic connections in their area,” Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble’s founder and CEO said.
How Bumble For Friends works
Members start by creating a profile that reflects their personality and interests; they can upload photos and showcase hobbies that illustrate where they are in their life and what kind of friends they are looking to meet.
Bumble For Friends models a similar experience as Bumble Date: members see profiles for potential friends based on common interests, they can swipe right on profiles they would like to connect with, and are notified when a match is made.
Anyone currently using the BFF mode within the Bumble app who wishes to migrate their profile and connections to the new platform can skip the set-up process and log-in as an existing member.
Once a BFF profile is moved over to the Bumble For Friends app, BFF mode is no longer available in the Bumble app. The Date and Bizz functionality remains.
A new feature of the Bumble For Friends app now allows members to plan group meet-ups. It works by enabling members to organise a meet-up – by choosing a planned activity from the list of suggestions or creating their own – with at least two of their connections from the conversations tab. Their connections receive an invite in their chat, and if accepted, they can join the group chat and start discussing the meet-up details.
Bumble For Friends is free to use and is available on the App Store and Google Play in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States with more regions to come.
“No matter your life stage - whether it’s moving off to college, looking for a travel partner or becoming a new mum - Bumble For Friends creates a fun way to connect with people while helping solve the extremely important issue of loneliness,” Herd said.
Herd launched Bumble in 2014 as one of the first women-centric dating apps. Its significant early success saw it reach 100 thousand downloads in its first month. Today, it has 12.3 million active monthly users, has more than 700 employees, according to the platform, and it generated $360.5 million (€325.7 million) in revenue in 2020.
