What Is a SuperSwipe on Bumble and How Does It Work?

A SuperSwipe is Bumble's way of telling a woman you are especially interested in her before the two of you have matched. When you send one, Bumble says she sees a clear sign that you went beyond a regular right swipe. You send it from the People tab by tapping the star icon while you are looking at her. Once you tap it, it cannot be undone.

Bumble's description is short. The woman you SuperSwipe gets a clear indication that you went past an ordinary like. Bumble's page on icons adds that a yellow heart badge appears when someone has SuperSwiped you, and its Liked You page says people who sent one show at the top of that list. So it is easy to spot, but it is a signal, not a sentence.

So treat it as a raised hand in a crowded room. It tells her you noticed her in particular. If you want her to know what you noticed, that takes words, and words come in a Note or your first message.

Open the People tab, where Bumble shows you people who fit your preferences. When you reach a woman you want to send one to, tap the star icon.

Before you do, look at her whole page, not just the first photo. Bumble lets you scroll through her photos, her written answers, her interests and even the Spotify artists she likes. That is where a reason to send one usually turns up. Without a reason, an ordinary like does the same job for nothing.

Be sure before you tap. Bumble says a SuperSwipe cannot be undone. Backtrack, which comes with the paid plans, only reverses a left swipe, and Bumble is clear that a right swipe cannot be taken back at all. If one goes to the wrong woman and she matches with you, Bumble says you can unmatch or let the match expire without writing anything.

You get SuperSwipes two ways. Bumble Boost, Premium and Premium+ each include a weekly allowance, and Premium+ gives you more of them than the other two. Weekly ones that you do not send expire on the same weekday you first subscribed, and the next batch arrives that day.

You can also buy them without a plan, as a consumable. That is Bumble's word for a single-use feature bought upfront, in whatever pack size you pick, and used whenever you like. Whatever mix you have, your balance sits at the top of the Pay plan page.

Bumble also lets you reach out before a match with a Note, which it used to call a Compliment. A Note is a short written message about something that caught your eye on her page, like a photo or one of her prompts. You send one by tapping the heart in a speech bubble on the People tab.

The two do different jobs. A SuperSwipe is a signal that you are especially interested. A Note is a sentence, and a sentence gives her something to answer. If you have something specific to say about her, the Note usually carries more weight. If all you have is a strong first impression, the SuperSwipe is honest about that.

A SuperSwipe helps with a woman who might have scrolled straight past you. Seeing that you went out of your way gives her a reason for a second look, and a second look is often all a decent set of photos needs.

It costs you when it stands in for effort. Sent to every attractive face, it stops meaning anything. Each one also shows a lot of interest in a woman you know nothing about yet. Women read early over-eagerness online the same way they read it in a bar. A man who is very keen before anything has happened looks like he needs the result more than he should.

Keep them for the few women who gave you a concrete reason, and the signal stays believable.

A match is the only thing a SuperSwipe can win you. From there it is an ordinary conversation, and it rises or falls on what gets said.

When the chat starts, bring up the reason you picked her. If she wrote that she is training for a half marathon, ask which race and how the long runs are going. If one of her photos was taken at a ski resort you know, name your favorite run there. Keep each reply to a line or two, and end on something easy to answer.

After a few good exchanges, suggest a plan with a place, a rough day and a short time frame, like a drink on Thursday at a bar you name. A great SuperSwipe followed by a flat reply does more harm than an ordinary like followed by a good one. You raised her expectations, and then you did not meet them.