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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

A dating app called Bumble [wikipedia.org] has added a "BFF Mode" [techcrunch.com]:

Bumble, the popular dating app where girls make the first move, has released an update that may turn the dating app world on its head. The new feature, called BFF, essentially lets users use the same swiping and matching algorithms for friendship instead of dating.

Here's how it works: After switching into BFF mode, users will see their potential dates replaced by people of the same sex that Bumble thinks you would want to be friends with. Once both people swipe right, both parties have 24 hours to initiate a conversation, similar to how Bumble handles same-sex dating today.

[...] But why does Bumble think that its users want to use the platform to find best friends? Because users have not only been requesting the feature, but have already been using the platform for that purpose, the company explained. Specifically, they have seen users using Bumble as a means to connect with new friends when moving to or just visiting a new city. [...] Implementing BFF makes Bumble the first major dating app to expand outside, well, dating. It's a brave move by a company that doesn't really need to try anything new, at least for now. The startup has added 1.5 million users since January alone, and 100 million messages have been exchanged in the last three months.

Where's Facebook's version of Tinder [wikipedia.org]? Perhaps users would be scared to link their Facebook profile to their dating/casual sex service?

Older article about Bumble [techcrunch.com].

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