Bumble has quickly grown to become one of the world’s largest dating sites and now hosts over 12 million monthly users. The site’s uniquely feministic approach has made it particularly popular with women.
The ladies hold all the power here; that much is clear. But besides the obvious shift in power dynamics, is there more going than meets the eye? Is Bumble withholding your matches and crippling your chances of success?
We are going to address any questions you may have regarding Bumble’s matching systems and algorithms – the answers you find here may just be what you need in order to succeed.
Does Bumble Withhold Your Matches?
After a few days on Bumble, you may be left feeling disappointed with the number of matches you have received. You may have swiped right on every profile and still only come away with a couple of matches, none of them good. You determine that the app must be withholding the rest of your matches from you as part of some out-of-season April Fool’s joke. Right?
Wrong.
Bumble is already a very popular dating app, but in order to keep up with the likes of Tinder (which boasts over 60 million active users), they need to guarantee their users some degree of success. After all, no one would want to use a dating app if there was no possibility of actually going on a date.
It is safe to say that Bumble does not withhold any matches from its users. However, there are a number of other factors at play that may actually be affecting your chances of finding a match.
How Often Should You Get Matches on Bumble?
The excitement of using a dating app can begin to wear a little thin after the first couple of hours, especially if you are going in with the expectation of matching with plenty of people. There is no precise number of matches that you can expect, but there are a number of factors that determine the frequency of your matches. Knowing what these factors are and how they work can make all the difference to your degree of success on Bumble.
You may have found that your first few days on Bumble were some of your busiest, match-wise, but as the days turned into weeks, things have slowed down drastically. This is because Bumble actively “promotes” newer profiles over old ones, broadcasting them to a wider number of users and thus improving your chances of finding a match.
Be sure that your profile is fully fleshed-out, complete with great photos and a funny bio. Bumble is also more likely to recommend fully-completed profiles over sparsely-detailed or otherwise incomplete ones.
While filling in every single field of your Bumble profile is not mandatory – and indeed, may seem like a chore at first – it is highly suggested that you take the time to go through every single step to increase your chances of success.
Ensure that you have the blue verification tick on your profile. Bumble places verified profiles at the top of the stack, above profiles without photo verification. While this may not directly contribute to your chances of finding a match, it helps to be one of the first faces that potential matches see. The verification tick also proves that you are who you appear to be in your photos and is sometimes a make or break for most people.
Learn what to write to create an attractive Bumble profile.
What is the Match-Rate for Bumble?
Bumble has not disclosed any official match rates as of yet, and it is unlikely that they ever will. However, some users have taken it upon themselves to determine the average rate of matches. One user, in particular, has released a full breakdown of his findings.
The user found that, on average, Bumble users are swiped between 10 and 12 times a day in total. Only 18% of swipes are right swipes, and 25% of the right swipes from male users are for women. In contrast, only 15% of right swipes from women are for men.
What all this means is that the odds of a man and a woman matching on Bumble is somewhere around the 3% mark.
It can be easy to be dissuaded by these findings, but keep in mind that this investigation is totally unofficial and is based on one user’s findings. Try not to worry about statistics too much. Instead, focus on developing your profile and honing your conversational skills. The time will come when you will match with someone you find attractive, and when that happens, you will want to be ready to ask them out.
Learn what to do if you’re having issues engaging your Bumble matches.
How Often Should You Get Matches on Bumble (as a Woman)?
So far, a lot of this post has been predominantly concerned with setting the boys in the crowd at ease. That being said, the aforementioned tips and suggestions can easily apply to any female user who may be struggling to find matches on Bumble.
Of course, considering the statistics we presented, it stands to reason that – as a woman – you can expect more likes and right swipes from male users. If you find that you still are not receiving the number of matches you desire, you may need to adjust your search criteria. It is more than possible that you have already been through everyone in your area with the conditions you have set, so be sure to adjust the range of your search, as well as other factors such as age.
Lastly, there is the possibility that your profile may not be up to snuff. As mentioned, any of the suggestions we have given over the course of this post can be applied to female users. In particular, you may want to ensure that all of your photos are of high quality and that they all show your best side.
Here are 8 common reasons why guys don’t respond on Bumble.
How Do You Get More Matches on Bumble?
It can be tough to figure out what you may be doing wrong that gives people the wrong impression or what you should focus on a little more to get everyone’s attention. Luckily, we have some quick tips here for you that should get you started down the right track. If you want more, be sure to check out our full post on creating the best Bumble profile ideas for inspiration.
Verify Your Profile
We have covered profile verification in this blog post already, so if you have not yet verified your profile or are unsure as to how to do it, follow these steps.
- Tap on the user icon at the top left of your Bumble home screen.
- From there, tap on “Edit Profile.”
- You should see a blue bar on this screen, captioned “Verify Your Account.” Tap on it.
- You will now be presented with a random pose for you to mimic. Tap on the shutter button to capture your pose, then press “Submit” if you are happy with the result.
- Within a few minutes, you should receive confirmation of your profile verification if the pose was correct. If not, your profile will be disabled until you complete the verification process – you are allowed to repeat it until you get it right.
A verified profile lets other people know that you are not a catfish, therefore increasing your chances of them matching with you.
Make Use of Bumble’s Profile Badges
Bumble’s badge system – when used properly – lets people quickly know what kind of person you are and frees up more space for your “About Me” field. Be sure to include a handful of badges in your profile – not only will people be more inclined to look through your profile, but you are also more likely to match with someone with the same interests as you so long as they are on display.
There are two types of badges: basic info, and interests. Start with basic info badges and fill out as many as you can. To do this:
- Tap on the gray icon at the bottom left corner of your Bumble swipe queue.
- Under your profile picture, tap on “Complete my profile”.
- Underneath your basic info, you will see the option for badges
You will also find the interest badges on your profile. There is a wide selection, from coffee and pets, all the way to voter rights and environmentalism. Be sure to add as many as Bumble will allow! You can learn more here.
Write a Funny Bio
The “About Me” field is your chance to impress everyone with a fine sense of humor – after all, who does not love a funny guy?
Despite the length of the above bio, it manages to be captivating thanks to the prevailing sense of humor throughout. Think of your most defining qualities, and use those to come up with a clever, witty bio that will have people matching with you for your sense of humor alone.
It also helps to be a little self-deprecating, something to signal to your potential matches that you do not take yourself too seriously.
Of course, you should also include enough information about yourself so that your matches can get an idea of who you are. While your most defining traits will hopefully have been conveyed through your joke, there should still be space enough for other things. Include a few of your hobbies and your goals, and mention what it is that you are looking for in a partner. Just remember not to emphasize looks too much (or even at all).
Final Thoughts
Online dating can be incredibly taxing, especially if you are facing a complete lack of viable matches. Remember that apps like Tinder and Bumble both reward patience and consideration – it simply does not do to swipe right on every profile you come across.
If you feel like your profile requires a more professional touch, then be sure to make use of our dating profile optimization services. Or, if you find yourself striking out with matches a lot, perhaps you need someone to vet your messages before you send them.
Whatever you do, remember that the right match is out there for you somewhere, whether it is Tinder, Bumble, or real life. Do not limit yourself to one platform, and do not become disheartened by a lack of matches. Good luck.