Bumble introduces date sharing features to make meeting new people safer

Safe swiping

While exciting, dating apps can sometimes feel scary. Bumble has teamed up with a leading safety advocate to launch new features to promote safe and respectful dating.

Dating online can feel scary. Talking to a complete stranger is nerve-wracking enough, but pair it with the horror stories we’ve all heard and no guarantee as to who will show up to our dates, and it’s easy to understand why many of us have to push ourselves to date at all.

According to research from Bumble, 83% of Australian women have said a dating app's safety features are an important part of deciding which apps they use.

So the app has teamed up with safety advocate Tarang Chawla to launch its new safety features. 

Chawla is the co-founder of Not One More Niki – a non-profit campaigning to end violence against women and children in honour of his younger sister Nikita, who was murdered by her partner.

He will be consulting with Bumble on future changes to promote improvements to Australia’s dating culture.

"Everyone has the right to feel safe and confident in their connections, especially when meeting someone new”, the activist said. “Bumble’s women-first mission and commitment to building tools that give women agency resonate deeply with me—that’s why I founded Not One More Niki and why I’m proud to serve as Bumble’s Safety Advocate.”

The new features will be available to all users from today, including:

He will be consulting with Bumble on future changes to promote improvements to Australia’s dating culture.

Sharing information pre-date

It’s common to receive an out-of-the-blue text from a friend with a man’s full name, physical description, and the name of a cafe, restaurant or bar with the note “in case he’s not who he says he is”. Which is a horrific reality, but a reflection of the real risks of dating and fears of violence against women.

80 per cent of Australian women say they always give a friend or family member the details of their date, and now the app is helping us pass on this information. One new feature allows users to share details including who they’re meeting, plus the time and location of the meeting with a contact. They can be updated on changes to plans directly through the app too. 

ID verification

The fear that your date isn’t going to be who they say they are is very real, so Bumble is now giving users the option to verify themselves with a valid ID. We will all also have the option to filter specifically for ID-verified profiles, so hopefully there’s less chance of catfishing.

It’s common to receive an out-of-the-blue text from a friend with a man’s full name, physical description, and the name of a cafe, restaurant or bar. Image: iStock

Encouraging thoughtful messaging

Those trying to send potentially inappropriate messages on the app will be prompted to reconsider what they say, and given the option to edit the flagged message before it’s delivered. 

Over forty per cent of people who tried to send flagged messages chose to edit them during the feature’s testing process, so hopefully the new addition helps to promote more respectful chats. 

Chawla said, “Safety starts with education, which is why I continue to drive conversations around safer dating behaviours and help create a culture where trust and respect come first".

“Through this partnership together we can encourage men to practice self-reflection and forge a better, safer dating culture and practices in Australia.”

Originally published as Bumble introduces date sharing features to make meeting new people safer