Have you heard about the Bumble match queue? As one of the most popular dating apps out there, Bumble is unique in that it enables women to reach out to men first so that they aren’t bombarded with messages (like other dating apps). Match queue is a unique Bumble algorithm in that women have 24 hours to start responding to men. After that, a man has the ability to reset the timer in hopes for a woman to respond.
Now, Bumble is a great app. It might not be the very top of the dating apps that work for men but it's solid. You really need to understand how it works though.
Seems simple enough, right? But it's actually a pretty complex system that's made to help those with good profiles find more matches. But what if your profile isn't up to Bumble's standards? Or what if you're not swiping right often enough? Worse yet, what happens if your number of right swipes doesn't match the number of right swipes you get?
In this article, we’ll explore everything about this Bumble algorithm, how it works, how to use it to your advantage, and how this affects your experience on the app.
Dating Apps Experts Recommend to Find a Girlfriend
(Aside from Bumble)
Most singles are wasting their time on the wrong apps. There are really only a handful (aside from Bumble) that most people need to use (especially normal guys). These are apps where you can meet great girls that want something long-term as well as those just looking to keep it casual:
| Site | Our Experience | Our Rating | Free Trial Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Best For Relationships  | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try eHarmony |
Best For Casual Fun  | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try AFF For Free |
Great If You're Handsome  | Tinder Highlights
| 8 | Try Tinder |
Everything You Need to Know About the Bumble Algorithm
There are plenty of things men should know about the Bumble algorithm and how to achieve the best results.
What is the Bumble match queue?
As stated in the introduction, Bumble match queue is a row at the top of the Bumble conversations page. Match queue lists the potential conversations in order of time remaining (within a 24-hour window) for a woman to respond. Starting from the left, users in the queue will have their profile picture displayed with a yellow circle around it, which is a 24-hour timeframe in which a woman can respond to you. As the timer begins to expire, the yellow circle fades clockwise until you’re unmatched by that person.
For paid users, the yellow circle will be a green circle that shows users the number of people who have already swiped right on them. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription to Bumble Boost, you won’t be able to view these. Also, the latest profile that swiped on you will be blurred.
The match queue page also has something called The Beeline, which is a user page that lists women who are accessible on the app for paid subscriptions. By paying, you gain access to women who have already swiped right but are limited due to a) the attractiveness rating of your profile (see below) or b) which type of paid membership you have.
There’s more than one Bumble algorithm
There are several algorithms at work when using Bumble that relate to the Bumble match queue. Bumble doesn’t explicitly detail these algorithms, but they are fairly obvious to those who use the app. Let’s cover some of them:
Basic profile matching
When a man swipes right on a woman’s profile, she is presented with profiles of men in order of who swiped first and who’s the better match (according to filters and the Bumble ranking algorithms).
Similarly, men are presented with profiles on the app in order of women that have swiped right on their profile, but are waiting for a man to also swipe right. Once both users have swiped right, they are entered into the match queue page, giving her 24 hours to send men the first message.
Filters
Bumble uses filters to best present users with the most possible matches according to a match percentage. Filters include age, location, religious beliefs, activities, and more, pairing you with someone who has the same demographics in mind.
However, filters are a double-edged sword:
Set your filters too specific, you end up excluding the widest pool of potential matches
Set your filters too wide (or use none at all), and you may be inundated with poor matches.
The best profiles are shown first
Bumble is a business and part of that business is making sure attractive people use the app. Bumble incentivizes attractive profiles by offering hidden perks, like showing them all available profiles versus those that are only available through paid subscriptions.
New users
If you’re new to Bumble, you may be surprised to see many attractive profiles appear in your feed. However, as your profile is swiped right (positive) or swiped left (negative), this score will adjust as part of Bumble’s algorithm to match you with profiles of similar attractiveness. This is one of the reasons why resetting your profile gives you a fresh restart - until it is rated again.
User engagement
Bumble wants people to keep using their app. So it has ways of measuring the time you spend on the app, how often you interact with other users, and positive experiences (versus getting flagged for inappropriate behavior). The more you use it, the more hidden perks users will receive, such as better matched profiles and even discounts designed to lure you into a paid subscription.
ELO rating system
Bumble purportedly works off the ELO rating system, a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in zero-sum games. This Bumble algorithm is based on a number of factors, including:
- The number of people that you swiped left on
- The number of people that you swiped right on
- The number of people that swiped left on you
- The number of people that swiped right on you
Bumble sorts users by determining who rates the most highly, particularly when others swipe right on your profile while also measuring how active you are on the platform.
Bumble Is Not Showing Matches
The following are the most common reasons for not receiving any matches on Bumble and the ways you can help get more matches on Bumble:
You aren’t swiping right on enough profiles
Bumble is a women-centric platform, enabling women to choose to send messages to men they find attractive. However, if you are too picky or don’t swipe right on matches, women have a limited way of reaching you.
Solution: Choose to swipe right on as many attractive women as possible. Even if you don’t find them completely attractive, the Bumble algorithm will boost your profile to harder-to-reach profiles when other women deem you attractive.
You need to fill out your entire profile
Bumble requires a lot more personal info and questions to be filled out per profile. If you’ve left a relatively empty profile or one that doesn’t show you taking the app seriously, one of Bumble’s algorithms may hide your profile until it is 100% complete.
Solution: Don’t be afraid to be wordy when it comes to your Bumble profile. Fill out as many questions and provide answers that showcase why you’re a great match.
You need to add more photos
Unlike dating apps like Tinder, the amount of photos that you add greatly increases the odds of your profile appealing to other users on Bumble. If you don’t have enough pictures, you may not catch other users' attention enough and they end up swiping left.
Solution: Bumble enables users to add 6 photos, so be sure to use as many good-looking pictures that present you in a variety of settings. Blurry, grainy, and low-quality photos may penalize your profile and cause it to be shown less, so present your best or hire a professional photographer as needed.
Your profile settings aren't configured correctly
Your settings in Bumble enable you to meet more women. However, if you haven’t taken the time to adjust the filters and other preferences, you may be excluding women who would otherwise match with you. Furthermore, the more women that match with you, the greater exposure you get on Bumble.
Solution: In your Bumble settings, choose up to two filters for a free account to help you find the most relevant matches. Paid accounts (see below) offer more filters and greater flexibility to meet women. Pay particular attention to setting the distance of your profile, as some women have their location set by bigger cities to maximize the pool of men they can respond to.
Bumble isn’t the right app for you
Bumble is geared towards an older demographic of women looking for serious relationships, not hookups or friends. If your profile looks like you’re looking for no-strings-attached fun, this may explain why you’re getting passed over (and the Bumble algorithm is limiting the exposure of your profile to other users).
Solution: Avoid using provocative and sexual language in your profile. Include more wholesome images versus shirtless pictures. Even though you may match with some users, the vast majority of women may pass you over in hopes of a more long-term relationship.
You need to pay for a Bumble Premium account
With the pandemic, dating apps have been cashing in on the increased number of users on every platform. Bumble is no exception. In fact, you may notice on the Beeline page of the app a message that reads “Upgrade to Premium to see the X people who have already swiped right on you.” This means that there are women willing to talk to you, but you have to pay for a chance to meet a woman on Bumble.
Solution: Purchasing a Bumble Premium account is the best way to get seen and start chatting with more women. Think of it as paying a cover charge at a club, which is designed to keep lower-quality people from interacting with those who have no problem paying to meet available women.
Bear in mind that Bumble Premium is pricey, but you can try it out on a weekly or monthly basis (currently at $19.99/week and $39.99/month) before committing to finding love on the app.
