Bumble algorithm: understand it, hack it, get matches! (2024 edition)

Just like Tinder with their Tinder ELO, Bumble doesn't share any information about how the Bumble algorithm works, so everything we know is based on research and guesswork done by determined Bumble users. We previously did the job for you in our article about Tinder's algorithm, check it out!

That said, there are a lot of determined Bumble users.

Below we've complied what we know about the way the algorithm works, and what you can do to make the algorithm work to your advantage.

The Bumble algorithm rewards good profiles.

If you're worried about keeping the Bumble algorithm happy, I've got some good news for you. For the most part, the Bumble algorithm works a lot like a real person!

Attractive profiles end up scoring higher, whether the judge is a woman or a machine. So you can use most of the same strategies for success, no matter who you're trying to impress.

We've got a lot of advice on our site about how to make a great Bumble profile, but we'll give you a quick overview here, too.

Use good photos

Do you really need us to tell you that pictures matter when you're online dating? A picture is worth a thousand words, and it's also the difference between her swiping left or swiping right.

Start with one or two strong headshots and then fill out your profile with more photos that show your lifestyle and your personality.

Need help figuring out your pictures? Check out ROAST. It’s an app that rates your picture’s effectiveness based partially on AI learning! You’d never believe what kinds of things make a photo work against you, like being too zoomed in (or out). If you want the future love of your life to see your profile, you would do well to get everything right from the start. Start using ROAST today.

Don't ignore the text portions

It's not all about the pictures! The bio and prompt sections of your profile are just as important as your photos!

Bumble keeps making it easier to talk about yourself on the app, so if you're at a loss for words just take advantage of their prompts and suggestions and you'll be halfway there in no time.

And if you're really feeling stuck, we can help you with that.

You get out what you put in

Just like those early questionnaires fed into IBM computers in the 1950s, the computer (or in this case the algorithm) can only work with the data you give it.

So to get the Bumble algorithm working for you, you need to give it as much accurate and useful information about yourself as possible.

For starters, you've got all the information you include when you first start your profile, details like your age, your location, your gender identity, and your sexual preference.

These factors are an important starting point — but they're just the beginning.

When you're using Bumble, remember that the algorithm is always watching. It's not just getting the data you intentionally feed into it, like your profile information, it's also paying attention to your behavior on the app.

Every time you swiped left or swiped right, that's another data point. Those swipes are telling the algorithm how you feel about each of those potential matches. It's gathering information about your type — who you find attractive and who you'd like to date.

That means it's worth being selective when you're swiping. If your simply swiping right on every single profile, then you're providing muddy data.

The judgment starts from day one

Maybe you're eager to start swiping so you decide to wait to properly set up your profile until later. This is a big mistake!

As soon as your profile goes live, Bumble starts paying attention to how other users react to your profile.

If you get a lot of right swipes, the algorithm decides you're a top user. And if too many users swiped left, you drop lower in the match queue.

This means it's important to start off on the right foot. Put thought into your photos and the text of your profile before you go live, so you can take advantage of those early days of your profile being judged.

It can hurt when you’re not successful on a dating app. You put all the work in, but something was still not quite right, and you just weren’t aware of it. Quit wasting your time — next time you get on the app, be completely sure that your app is polished. You can do so with the help of ROAST. ROAST is an app and service that analyzes your profile based on thousands of successful profiles and tells you how to make yours better. Nobody knows better than ROAST how the Bumble algorithm works. Try it today.

Say you've followed our advice so far and still feel like you're not getting the results you're looking for when swiping through Bumble. Don't give up hope! There are more tips and tricks to maximize your matching potential.

Use the Bumble filter options

One of the ways Bumble decides which profiles to show you is based on how you're using the bumble filter options.

Remember, every tool on the app is there to give you a higher chance of matching with girls who are genuinely a good fit.

Use the filters to make choices like how far you're willing to travel to meet someone and if you only want to see people who've verified their profiles.

To take your filter use to the next level, you'll have to spring for one of the paid accounts. But when you do, a whole world of options opens up. You can filter profiles based on factors like,

• Drinking

  
  

• Smoking

  
  

• Pets

  
  

• Children

  
  

• Astrological sign

  
  

• Exercise

  
  

• Education

  
  

• And so much more...

Stay active on the app

Bumble, like most dating apps, rewards people for logging in.

No one wants to match with someone who hasn't looked at the app for weeks or months — because that leads to yet another match that just sits there with no message.

This is even more important on Bumble because of the time limit between making a match and sending a message. Unless you pay for more time, that match disappears after 24 hours. So staying active really pays off.

With that in mind, it makes sense that Bumble considers active profiles to be attractive profiles.

Perhaps the best part of this is that it's easy to do. You don't need to commit a lot of time. Just make sure you log into the app once a day, check out a few users and make a few swipes, and then you can set it aside until the next day.

Okay, so staying active means talking to your matches. Are you chronically unsure of what to say? The dating experts at ROAST can get to know you and work out the best conversation tips for you. Not only that, they’ll know all the ways to improve your profile based on years of research into dating app profiles! Start on the road towards more Bumble matches by taking their quiz today.

If all else fails, consider a reset

If you've made mistakes along the way (like swiping with an empty profile) and the improvement suggestions we've made here aren't cutting it, you've got one more option. Resetting your Bumble profile is the easiest way to start from scratch.

Now that you know a new profile is especially important, you can decide to start over by keeping the algorithm in mind from the beginning, therefore setting up your chances to be better the second time around.

Just keep this option as a last resort, because starting over from scratch can be kind of a hassle. If you want to start with a new account on Bumble, you'll have to start by deleting your old account.

Then, to make sure Bumble doesn't consider your account a duplicate, make sure to wait at least 24 hours before setting up a new profile. Be careful, Bumble may shadowban you if you abuse their app!

When you do start over, remember to build your new profile will all of our best Bumble profile advice in mind.

You can also recruit help from someone who knows Bumble better than you ever will. It can’t hurt to try something that will only increase your chances of meeting the love of your life. What have you got to lose? Let the experts at ROAST optimize your Bumble profile so that it gets more likes and matches. ROAST has already done so for so many others — now it’s your turn. Try ROAST today.