Bumble Adds New Video Chat And Call Options To Let You Meet Before You Meet Up

Bumble is giving users some new options to get to know each other inside its dating app without actually getting to know each other—now, the company has announced that its adding voice and video calls to the app.

The idea behind video chat and voice calling is twofold. Having a call with someone in advance of date could be a safety precaution. You can get a feel for what the other person is like (Creepy? Sketchy? Perfectly nice?). Plus, you can leave your phone number out of it. It could also be a way to figure out if you actually want to take the time to meet in person.

The feature is double opt-in, meaning you won’t get a video call from some random the second that you match with them. Instead, users will see an icon inside their chat that they can tap on to enable the features that move beyond the text. Once both users get onboard, you can get to chat without worrying about exchanging your numbers or social media profiles.

The goal of the new features was “The future of digital connection will be defined by the safety, security, and well-being of users across all media platforms,” And it will help by “giving users a more real-life interaction, and saving them time by getting a deeper understanding of who they’re matched with before they decide to meet in person or share valuable contact information,” MagicLab (the newly announced parent company of Bumble, Badoo, Chappy, and Lumen) CEO Andrey Andreev explained in an email.

How it works

For others, texting is little more than an ill-placed speed bump in the fast lane. It’s these users that will most likely appreciate Bumble’s latest features – video chat and voice calling. The new feature which works across Date (for dating), Bizz (for professional connections) and BFF (for making friends) modes, said they are primarily about creating a safer space on Bumble Date.

To start a call, you first have to match with someone. Once you’ve matched, a video icon and phone icon will appear in the top right-hand corner of your conversation screen. Women get the option to call as soon as they match with someone — and this can count as their first move. Men get the option to call only after a first move has been made.

The best thing about Bumble’s new video chat and voice calling is that you don’t have to exchange phone numbers so if things don’t work out, you won’t have to worry about having a new stalkers. Months ago, the company added a “Private Detector” feature which analyses photos sent in chat and lets users know if there’s anything “explicit” in the photo so they know what they’re getting into when they open it.

The new feature is set to launch in summer.