Swipe Right for Friendship! Bumble Tests Standalone App for Pal-Seekers

Dating app Bumble Inc BMBL said it is testing a separate BFF app in select markets aimed at people "looking for friend finding without being on a dating app."

It plans to release this app in the U.S. in 2023, TechCrunch reports.

Separate reports suggested Bumble trialing a new app in select geographies.

It confirmed testing the app in the U.K. and select other Asian markets. TechCrunch found out that the app is available in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, both on Android and iOS.

Bumble also has a new landing page for the app, but the download button will likely route the user to the main app lest the user is part of the test in the markets mentioned above.

The free app has premium subscriptions for a week, three months, six months, and a lifetime. 

The Bumble For Friends app also includes in-app purchases like boosts for better profile visibility and super swipes to get a particular person's attention.

The BFF mode represents 15% of the main apps' monthly active users.

With the new app, Bumble is tapping into the friend-finding market that includes livestreaming apps Yubo, LMK, Wink, Swipr, and Vibe.

Price Actions: BMBL shares are trading higher by 2.23% at $17.89 premarket on the last check Thursday.

Photo by Ivan Radic via Flickr