Bumble Expands Offerings with Night In and Boost Service

Dating app Bumble just launched Night In, a new game feature that matches can play on a virtual date. In addition, the female-friendly dating app has revamped Boost, its mid-range paid service that now allows users unlimited swipes, “backtracking” and match extensions. 

Night In is an in-app game that’s meant to operate as an ice breaker. The feature provides a series of trivia questions that you and your Bumble date can answer together on a virtual date, according to The Verge. Bumble users can access Night In using the new icon in a chat message, where they can schedule the date ahead of time (as long as it’s between 6pm and midnight). Both participants will receive notification reminders ahead of the date.

Virtual dating has become a necessity over the past year because of the pandemic and dating app companies have scrambled to incorporate sticky features like video chats, livestream, virtual gift-giving and games in order to keep users engaging on their apps instead of moving to other social platforms. Since video dates can be awkward when you’re used to meeting each other in person, ice breakers have become a part of helping people interact.

How Night In Works on Bumble

Image: Bumble

Night In adds to Bumble’s existing video dates feature according to The Verge, which has been incredibly popular. The company reports voice and video features have been used 70 percent more since the pandemic began.

Boost is a paid service that is between Bumble’s free and premium services, targeting a larger paying customer base: those who want a few extras without having to invest in the app’s top tier service. According to Insider, Boost has sweetened the pot by offering unlimited swiping, the ability to undo a rejection on a match when you’ve changed your mind, and extending the time period to chat with a match. Bumble’s free service encourages more frequent engagement by allowing 24 hours for matches to message each other before they disappear from each other’s feeds. With Boost, users get an extra 24 hours to message a match.

Additional Boost perks include one “Spotlight” a week, where your profile is advertised at the top of other users’ stacks for 30 minutes, increasing your match pool. Boost users also get 5 Super Swipes per week, where they can let someone know they’re really interested (similar to Super Likes on Tinder). 

The cost for Boost varies depending on how long you want the service – you can sign up on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, or purchase three or six-month subscriptions. The company is still testing price points in various regions, according to Insider. 

Bumble plans to add more games and “virtual experiences” to its app going forward. Night In is currently only available in the U.S. and Canada. Boost is available globally for iOS, but only in the UK, Australia and New Zealand on Android.