India, Aug. 13 -- A popular dating app has officially shaken up one of its defining features.

On Tuesday, Bumble announced that it would allow either person in a match to send the first message, phasing out the women-first rule that has defined the app since its launch in 2014.

Under the new update, men can initiate conversations if an opening prompt is set up on the profile.

Once a match happens, either person can break the ice, while the 24-hour response window has also been extended to 72 hours before a chat expires.

So, why the sudden shift? Recent survey data suggests women are experiencing app fatigue, tired of constantly having to come up with witty opening lines for every match.

Meanwhile, potential connections were often exp...