Lately it seemed as if my scorching Tinder flame had been dying down to a mere flicker. I’d developed a common case of Dating ADD — and while my trusty Tinder proved time and again to be a reliable source for quality prospects, I was starting to recycle old matches from other dating sites and even run into ex-boyfriends (eek!). Was it possible I’d simply dated every man on the island of Manhattan?!



My friends, however, assured me this sort dating ennui was normal and suggested I try Bumble and after giving it a try, here is my honest bumble app review:

So Easy a Caveman Can Do It!

I downloaded the app and within a minute or two I was ready to start matching. Like Tinder, Bumble pulls your information, such as age, school and location as well as your photos straight from Facebook (But don’t worry–they’ll never post anything to your FB page.) I appreciated not having to update my information–because who’s got time for that? I still was able to tweak a few details of my profile without any difficulty

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

The layout and general premise of Bumble is quite similar to Tinder. You choose who you’re looking for, specifying your desired age range and locations. I found it extremely straightforward and user friendly. With Bumble the same basic rules exist: Swipe right for yes, and left for no. This familiar motion has now become a part of my basic muscle memory, so I welcomed it with open arms.

Hot or Not

One difference you’ll immediately notice is that each person’s photo takes up your entire screen with minimal details listed on the very bottom. I liked the simplicity and straightforwardness of this layout. And let’s be honest: it’s all about whether you find someone attractive or not, which we determine in a matter of milliseconds. So I found the focus on the photo a refreshing change

Straight up Now Tell Me

You’ll notice on Bumble that to browse someone’s photos you swipe vertically rather than horizontally, like you do on Tinder. It’s a seemingly trivial feature, but it made a huge difference in usability. How many times have you accidentally swiped right/left on someone when all you were trying to do was browse their photos? I can’t even count how many times it’s happened to clumsy ol’ me! Well done, Bumble.

But We All Still Make Mistakes….

Even the most experienced online dater can make a misstep and swipe left when they meant right. Thankfully for those times, Bumble offers a really cool feature called Backtrack, which is identical to the paid Tinder Plus rewind feature. Each user is offered 3 FREE backtracks, which then replenish after 3 hours. If you happen to be as ham fisted as I am, this cool feature can help reclaim those missed connections. Second chances really do exist!

The Tables Have Turned

Ok, ready to have your mind absolutely BLOWN!? Here is the #1 thing that sets Bumble apart from the rest. Ready for it?

Women make the first move.

That’s right. Men are not even permitted to speak to a woman unless she decides to message him first. It’s completely up to the ladies to choose who they deem worthy for convo. This newfound power felt strange to me at first; I’d been used to simply sitting back and just waiting either for the magic or the train-wreck to happen.

Now It Was All up to ME. I Am Woman–Hear Me SWIPE!

I learned quickly that making the first move is freaking HARD! It’s not easy to put yourself out there, and at first I felt a lot of pressure. But I pushed myself to step out of my comfort zone. I was astounded at how many quick and totally coherent responses I received. Men seemed to really appreciate the pressure being taken off them for once.

Carpe Diem

Another distinctive feature of Bumble is that you don’t have an opportunity to sit around twiddling your thumbs. Women only have 24 hours to message their guy after the initial match is made. To make it easier, Bumble keeps all of your matches in a pool for you with a clear countdown of the remaining time. This feature may make you anxious, but for a seasoned procrastinator like myself it was a welcomed addition. Creating a real sense of urgency helped me decide if a guy was just a pretty face or something more special. I found that sending a message right away kept them fresh in my mind. Seize the day!

Overall, my first week on Bumble was a breath of fresh air. Switching up my apps seemed to get me out of my dating rut, plus I met scads of great guys. Maybe I actually will find love after all and I hope this Bumble app review will do the same for you!