Bumble is adding ID verification to its dating app alongside other new features, an attempt to court safety-conscious younger users who are key to the company’s turnaround plans.
The optional feature is available in 11 markets, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, France and India, with more to follow, the company said in a statement Monday. Bumble users can filter for ID-verified profiles and also request that their matches complete the verification process.
The company is also letting people share details about their dates and upcoming meetings with trusted contacts, similar to rival Tinder’s “Share My Date” offering. In addition, Bumble will expand a feature that flags inappropriate messages before they are sent to include all chat conversations.
The product announcements are part of an effort by Bumble to return its namesake dating app to growth, after quarterly revenue entered a persistent slump starting in the third quarter of last year. Wall Street estimates compiled by Bloomberg indicate those declines may widen this year after the company gave a disappointing first-quarter forecast last month.
As part of Monday’s announcement, Bumble also rolled out a new Discover page, which shows users the “most compatible” profiles, taking into account factors such as dating intentions and having similar interests.
Bumble has said it will focus on removing bad actors from its platform, as well as improving the likelihood users will match with relevant people. Research commissioned by the company showed 80% of Gen Z daters are more likely to go on a date with someone who is ID-verified. Early tests indicated that ID-verified members see a significant increase in matches compared with non-verified users, it said.
Tinder, which has seen a persistent decline in subscribers, released similar features including ID checks in 2024. The two brands have both had to reckon with a broader generational shift in dating behavior and a rise in scammers using artificial intelligence to defraud their victims.
Like Match Group, which owns Tinder, Hinge and other dating apps, Bumble has had recent turnover in its executive ranks. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd stepped back into the role of chief executive officer on Monday, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She is returning a little more than a year after handing the reins to former Slack Technologies CEO Lidiane Jones.
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This story was originally published at bloomberg.com. Read it here.