Skip to main content

Bumble introduces BFF, which lets you swipe right for female friends

Dating apps are entering uncharted territory — the purposeful friend zone. Bumble, the mobile dating tool that was already innovative in its female-first approach, is now disrupting the dating space again. This time, it’s with the introduction of the BFF mode. Rather than swiping to find potential romantic prospects, this new mode lets women find platonic relationships as well. Because let’s face it, as hard as it is to find a significant other in this day and age, finding a dependable entourage may be even more difficult.

So how does it work? BFF mode does operate on the rather antiquated presumption that when you’re looking for friends, you’re looking within your same sex.

Recommended Videos

So in Bumble, when a user departs from swiping for dates, they’ll just be swiping for other damsels if the user is a woman, or gents if the user is a man. The same algorithm will be applied, so just as you’d see potentially compatible relationship matches, you’ll see suggestions for good friends. If a friend catches your eye, you’ll swipe right, and if the respondent agrees, you’ll be connected. From there, you’ve got 24 hours to strike up a conversation and see if you can really pick friends based on looks alone.

I mean, it’s almost like rushing a sorority or a fraternity.

Single? Taken? Doesn't matter! Now everyone can use Bumble. Bumble BFF is live in @AppStore! #download #update now! pic.twitter.com/OqynJ1YdLS

— Bumble (@bumble) March 4, 2016

To keep you from confusing your friend conversations with your potentially boyfriend conversations, your BFFs will appear in green, while the romantic prospects will be highlighted in yellow.

It’s a daring move for the app, founded by Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe in December 2014. It marks the first time that a dating application has purposefully moved into the friends-only space, though research shows that an increasing number of users are using the apps for that purpose already. And given Bumble’s rapidly growing user base, having this friendly approach may make the world of online dating seem all the more palatable to those looking to first dip a toe in before taking the plunge. With 1.5 million users added since January alone and 100 million messages exchanged in the last three months, Bumble has a loyal fan base just waiting to try something new.

And that something new is the digital search for your next BFF.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Hurry if you want the latest Apple iPad Air at lowest-ever price for Prime Day
13-inch iPad Air (2025) purple rear.

The Apple iPad Air M3 was just released a few months ago, but it's already part of Amazon's tablet deals for Prime Day. The 11-inch model with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage is on sale for its lowest price so far of $479, following a 20% discount on the device's original price of $599. Once the shopping event is over, we're not sure how long you'll have to wait until we find a similar offer for this iPad, so push forward with your purchase now while the savings of $120 are still online.

$479 at Amazon

Read more
Here’s why the Galaxy Z Flip 7 finally supports Samsung DeX
Samsung explains why DeX arrived with the seventh generation Z Flip, and not before
Flip 7 on side

One thing that might have gone under the radar at the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 launch is the fact the smaller phone now joins its larger sibling by adding DeX support.

DeX, for those that might be unfamiliar, is a feature where you can plug a Samsung smartphone into a dock or monitor and emulate a much more fully-formed computing experience, more akin to using a laptop than a phone.

Read more
Last chance to get the best Android smartwatch at lowest-ever price for Prime Day
The display on the Google Pixel Watch 3.

Android fans, if you're planning to take advantage of smartwatch deals for Amazon's Prime Day, you should go for the Google Pixel Watch 3. The 45mm, Wi-Fi model, which is originally sold for $400, is on sale for its lowest-ever price of only $285 following a 29% discount. This is your last chance to get the wearable device with savings of $115 as the shopping event is closing soon, so you have to hurry and complete your purchase immediately to make sure that you don't miss out.

$285 at Amazon

Read more