On an Android phone, open your phone's Settings, tap Apps, then Bumble, then Storage, and tap Clear Cache. Bumble describes clearing the cache as an Android-only step. If the app still misbehaves, the same screen has a Clear Data button, and Bumble notes that using it will not delete your account. On an iPhone, Bumble's other fixes do the work instead: update or reinstall the app, close it fully, or log out and back in.

What the cache actually is

Bumble's help page describes cached files as small bits of data the app saves so things load faster, such as images, profile details and pages you open often.

Most of the time that is helpful. Now and then the saved copy goes stale or gets muddled, and the app ends up loading slowly or glitching because it is working from bad leftovers. Clearing the cache throws those leftovers away, and the app fetches fresh copies the next time it needs them.

The steps on Android

  1. Open your phone's Settings.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap Bumble.
  4. Tap Storage.
  5. Tap Clear Cache.

Open Bumble again and see whether the problem is gone.

If it is not, go back to the same Storage screen and tap Clear Data. It is the bigger reset of the two, and Bumble says it will not delete your account. Before you tap it, have your login ready. Know which way you sign in. The phone number on the account should still reach you, or you should have a second way to log in, such as Facebook or Apple ID. Then you are covered if the app asks you to sign in again.

On an iPhone

Bumble's page lists the cache step under Android only and gives no iPhone version of it. The rest of its fixes are not tied to one kind of phone, and they are the ones to use instead.

Update the app from the App Store, or delete it and install it again. Bumble's page on deleting an account says that removing the app from your phone does not delete your account. You would have to use the Delete account option in Settings for that, so a reinstall does not cost you the account.

You can also fully close Bumble from your recent apps and open it again, log out and back in, or turn the phone off for about 30 seconds and back on.

When clearing the cache is the wrong fix

Clearing the cache is aimed at slow loading and odd glitches. It is not what Bumble's pages suggest for everything, so check what you are actually looking at first.

If the app shows an error code, Bumble has a page that explains each one. For internal error 0030, Bumble's advice is to take a short break and try again in 24 to 48 hours. For a server error, it says the problem is usually temporary and on Bumble's end, so wait a few minutes.

If the problem is on Bumble's list of known bugs, which sits at the top of its troubleshooting page, the fix has to come from Bumble. Clearing your cache might help in the meantime, but do not expect it to.

Try it in the right order

Clearing the cache sits in the middle of Bumble's own list, and it is worth doing the quicker checks first:

  • Make sure your connection is steady, and toggle Airplane Mode.
  • Update the app.
  • Force close it and open it again.
  • Log out and back in.
  • Clear the cache on Android.
  • Check Bumble has the permissions it needs and your phone is not nearly out of storage.
  • Turn off battery saver, a VPN or an ad blocker for a while.
  • Restart the phone.

Start at the top and stop as soon as the app behaves. There is no prize for reaching the bottom of the list.

If clearing it changed nothing

When you have cleared the cache, cleared the data and worked through the rest of the list, stop fiddling and hand it to Bumble. Open your Profile, tap the question mark icon in the top right, scroll down and tap Start Chat.

Bumble says it can help faster if you tell it the exact problem and send a screenshot. It also wants your phone model and operating system, plus a short note on what you were doing when it went wrong. Mention the steps you have already tried, including the cache, so support does not send you back to the start of the list.

Once it works, go straight to your newest matches

While you were fixing the app, the clock on your matches kept running. Bumble says a match expires if neither of you sends a message within 72 hours of matching.

So open the chats before anything else and look at the newest matches first. Send each one a real opening line. Bumble's own tips are to ask a specific question about something she wrote, or to pick up on an interest you share. A question about the trip in her third photo gives her something to answer. A "hey" gives her nothing to work with, and Bumble may even nudge you to write something more personal before you send it.