How can one tell if a Bumble bee is active? Through profile changes? How fast do they reply? 

Well, it’s a combination. We need to rely on other potential signs if we want to find out which profiles are active and which are not.

Bumble, however, is a bit complicated for reasons I’ll be explaining below.

There are no activity statuses on Bumble.

Yep. You heard me. Unlike Tinder, Bumble has no statuses that indicate someone’s activity.

It’s quite on-brand, when you think about it, seeing how Bumble is deemed one of the safest dating sites.

• It promotes comfort, and not being pestered just because you’re online is something many Bumble users have come to appreciate.

But this leaves us with no way of telling when someone is online…or does it? Especially without registering for an account.

I have studied Bumble, and have noticed a pattern all active users share.

1. Did you see them on your stack? They’re probably active.

It wouldn’t be very smart of Bumble to keep showing inactive users over and over again on people’s decks.

The sole fact they got recommended to you (especially at the top of your deck) means they regularly use the app.

Even more so if you two actually match, which means they had to swipe right on you at some point: a strong sign of activity.

2. Just message them!

If you’re curious about a match you’re really interested in, don’t hesitate to smooth-talk them as a way of reaching out.

Want to see if they’re online? I highly urge you to text them with the hopes of them responding.

Unless it’s a fake profile, they should respond quickly.

3. Periodically check in for profile changes.

People change, and with them, so do their preferences.

This leads me to advise you to take a screenshot the first time you come across someone’s profile.

Periodically check in so that you see if anything has changed, such as:

• Location;
• Images;
• Basic info.

Let’s take the location as an example: Bumble cannot update the location while you’re offline.

Next, we have images…which we all know you need to log in to change them.

4. Try out Bumble Speed Dating!

Don’t you just love it when dating apps ACTUALLY make dating fun? Bumble’s Speed Dating game, available from 7 pm to 8 pm, lets you chat with strangers for up to 3 minutes.

You won’t know what they look like, which is exciting on its own as you’ll appreciate them for who they are.

Here’s the thing: this game is played by active users, so if you get partnered with a random person, they’re active on Bumble.

You won’t get paired with people you’ve talked to before, though, if that’s what you’re looking for.

5. Utilize Advanced Filters.

Advanced Filters are a Bumble Premium feature that lets you specify the exact type of person you’re looking to date.

• Political beliefs;
• Views on religion;
• Smoking habits;
• Dating intentions, and so on.

You might be wondering how on Earth is this useful, but don’t forget that coming across a Bumble user is a pretty darn good sign!

You’re increasing the chances of seeing them, hence having them text you first.

I also recommend you get your Bumble Badges by filling out as many details as possible: this will make you more desirable in the Bumble algorithm’s eyes.

6. Use the Extended feature.

The Extended premium feature gives you an additional 24 hours to make a connection with your match.

This means you have an additional day to see if a Bumble user responds to you, which serves as an indication of their activity.

It’s not guaranteed, but if you’re already subscribed to Bumble Premium, why not take advantage of it?

7. Opt into Bumble Spotlight!

I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed by now just how useful Bumble Premium is in telling if someone is active on Bumble or not.

Next, we have the Bumble Spotlight feature, which puts you on top of the Stack for more people to see for 30 minutes.

You can get Bumble Premium (or pay for the feature individually) to attract the people currently online on the platform.

Again, we’re trying to become more visible so that the target person reaches out first—if you want to catch a cheater on Bumble, this will work only IF you are using a fake identity.

8. See if they’re paying for Bumble Premium.

In case you’re wondering, no. Bumble does not out the users who feel the need to pay for Bumble Premium…but there are signs.

Let’s take the Extended feature as an example:

Bumble’s premise is that if neither of you makes the first move before the 24-hour mark, you’ll get unmatched.

If you do not get matched after 24 hours, that means they are paying to stay talking to you.

Another example would be the Spotlight feature: seeing them constantly at the top of your stack means they are paying to stay there!

And who in their right mind would pay $40 a month for something they don’t use?!

– How forgiving is Bumble towards inactive profiles?

Not at all, actually. If you’re inactive on Bumble for more than 30 days, your profile will stop showing up on people’s feeds.

This means 2 things:

1. They can’t interact with you;

2. And you can’t interact with them.

We need to go off of this notion if we want to see if someone is active on Bumble because an inactive profile wouldn’t be recommended to you.

So, if there’s any sign of interaction (liking, messaging, or profile visibility), know they’re likely active.

So…how to tell if someone IS active on Bumble?

Put shortly, there are 3 ways to differentiate active Bumble profiles from inactive ones:

1. Using Bumble Premium features to our advantage;

2. Texting the user first;

3. Keeping note of any changes that might occur on their profile.

Since we don’t have activity statuses, we have to make do with what we have—which is plenty!