Tinder borrows Bumble's women-message-first feature
Tests have already started, and it could go worldwide.
If Tinder was hoping to bring its feud with Bumble to a quick end, it's not helping matters. It has been testing a "My Move" feature in India that gives women more control over conversations. If women enable the feature in their settings, only they can start a conversation after a match -- you know, like Bumble. Tinder had launched the feature in the country as it needed to draw more women to the app by making them feel safer, the company's Taru Kapoor told Reuters. India also uses the in-app messaging more than anywhere else, so it's an ideal testing ground.
The company expects to make the "My Move" toggle available around the world if this test proves successful.
This wouldn't be a completely surprising move even if Bumble weren't around. Ask enough women and you'll hear horror stories of men on dating services who immediately start sexting after a match. Even so, it's hard to ignore the competitive pressure at work. Many women flock to Bumble precisely because its conversation policy discourages creeps -- Tinder likely doesn't want to risk losing its dating app dominance over something it could easily add in software.
