Bumble, other dating apps expand to friend zone in search of profits

Burnt-out love seekers are shunning dating apps in their millions, but the apps are trying to woo them back with a counter offer: If you do not want a lover, perhaps you just need a friend?

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The giants of the industry - Bumble, and Match, which owns Tinder - have both created apps catering to friendly meetups, joining countless smaller platforms that have already entered the friend zone.

Bumble For Friends launched in July 2023 and, by the third quarter of 2024, had around 730,000 monthly active users, according to figures from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

Bumble has also acquired the Geneva app, which caters to people wanting to form groups around particular interests.

"It's just the beginning of our vision to expand the company's footprint and helping people find connections broadly," Bumble chief executive Lidiane Jones said during the Web Summit in Lisbon on Nov 13.

Match, meanwhile, launched the Yuzu app in February targeting the Asian community in the United States, offering a choice between friendly or romantic encounters.

The group has also been testing a service dedicated to friendship in France on its dating app for older people, Disons Demain.