What is Bumble and how does the dating app work?

Bumble is a dating and social networking application that facilitates communication between interested users. Utilizing a location-based interface similar to other dating apps, Bumble distinguishes itself by allowing only women in heterosexual matches to make the first contact, an effort to reduce unsolicited messages and encourage equality from the start. Users sign up with photos and a brief profile, then swipe right to like a potential match or left to pass. If two users both swipe right on each other's profiles, it's considered a match. However, after matching, the woman has 24 hours to initiate conversation; otherwise, the match disappears. In same-sex matches or when used for friendships (in its BFF mode), either person can initiate contact. Bumble also includes photo verification to help prevent fake profiles and provides several modes for different kinds of connections, including dating, friendship, and professional networking.