Bumble is experimenting with group chats, polls and video calls for its new social media feature, "Hive"

Dating app maker Bumble revealed more of its plans to bolster its social networking features during last week's second-quarter results, which saw the company's shares collapsing from its declining financial outlook despite declining revenue. Now new images show what Bumble has been developing as part of the wider overhaul of its 'Bumble BFF' friend finder feature - a change that could help the app appeal to a new audience beyond young people. singles. Specifically, Bumble BFF tested a new "communities" offering called "Hive," which, as the images show, may include support for features like group chat, polls, and video calls. /p>

Bumble briefly referenced its plans for Hive during its Q2 2022 earnings call to investors, noting that Hive was a "next-gen offering" aimed at helping people find "platonic connections to through small communities". In other words, a group product.

"As we've shared before, our approach is based on the idea that people want to find friends, acquaintances, and connections through shared struggles and common joys: moving to a new city, navigating parenting, finding a hiking partner, or really anything in between,” founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd told investors.

She noted that Bumble recently expanded its alpha testing of the new Bumble BFF feature to the Greater Toronto Area, where Bumble users have since created thousands of these online communities called "Hives".

Image credits: Bumble Hives via Watchful

The company thinks the promise of a platonic social network could help it find commitment beyond the world of online dating. During its testing, Bumble said the average weekly number of sessions for BFF members increased by two-thirds and their weekly time spent in the app increased by 16%.

According to new images released by product intelligence firm Watchful, Bumble's Hive includes a variety of now-standard social networking features. It shows that BFF members can create profiles, join admin-led interest groups, post messages, participate in group chats, create and respond to polls, and more. There is also an option for group video calls in "hives".

Image credits: Bumble Hives via Watchful

However, the video isn't entirely new to Bumble.

The company also told investors it was testing both video and audio in select markets to enhance member profiles with “richer and more dynamic” content. It could further help Bumble better compete with a growing number of video-focused dating apps, like Snack,