Bumble Bantr: All you need to know (2026 Review)

Inspired by Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso, the bumble bantr experience lets you channel your inner Rebecca. This free bantr live feature allows Bumble dating app users to chat before seeing a profile. Here’s how to match and enjoy your date in real time.

What is Bumble Bantr?

Bumble Bantr is a blind dating experience inspired by the Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso. In the show, Rebecca and Sam sparked a surprise romance on the fictional Bantr dating app without seeing each other's photos.

Now, Bumble users can recreate that magic. Every Thursday at 7pm local time, you can join a Bantr Live session to chat with a potential match based on personality.

Players are matched by location and preferences, but profile photos remain hidden. This allows every user to focus on conversation, providing a free way to find a date based on genuine chemistry. For those looking to elevate their entire dating app presence beyond just Bantr, a profile review service can help you stand out and attract more matches.

How Does Bumble Bantr Work?

Inspired by the Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso, bumble bantr brings the blind dating experience used by Rebecca to your phone. During the 7pm-8pm local time window, users join this free event without needing a subscription. Unlike the regular dating app experience where you swipe through a profile first, bantr live prioritizes personality over pictures.

Once the app pairs you with another player, you have three minutes to chat. A key difference from the usual bumble flow is that any user can send the first message. It is a fast-paced, timed date where you focus on getting to know each other through conversation.

When time is up, you see a small photo of the other person and decide if you want to match. After you choose, the app asks if you want to chat with someone new.

The event ends at 8 pm. If you match, the chat moves to your regular match queue. Only then is the full profile revealed, proving a real connection starts with a great chat rather than just a photo. To ensure that revealed profile truly shines and helps you get more dates, you might want to optimize your dating profile for success.

How To Join Bumble Bantr Live

To start your bumble bantr experience, open the bumble dating app and ensure you are in date mode. Tap the hive icon and select the blue stopwatch to RSVP for the weekly bantr live event held every Thursday. This ted lasso inspired game lets users chat before seeing a profile. Each time a user plays, they can match with a profile to score a free apple tv+ trial to watch rebecca, rewarding every player.

Tips To Have a Good Conversation on Bumble Bantr

It’s tricky enough to keep an engaging conversation going on Bumble – but it can be even harder when you only have 3 minutes to get to know your match. Here are the best tips to help you have a good conversation and get more matches on Bumble Bantr.

1. Keep the focus away from looks

The point of Bumble Bantr is to develop a genuine connection based on the conversation – so try to steer clear of talking about looks with your match. Instead, ask your match questions about themselves. You can ask your match about what their hobbies are, what they enjoy doing on their spare time, and any other questions that will give you a better insight into who they are as a person.

2. Use all three minutes

Three minutes is a short amount of time - and you cannot extend - so you’ll want to get the most use out of your time with each potential match. Even if the conversation doesn’t get off to a quick start- you can still save it by getting the chat started.

3. Have a few opening lines prepped and ready to go

To make sure you don’t waste any time, have a few opening lines ready to go for when your conversation starts. With Bantr Live, you don’t have to wait for women to start the chat – you can message your match first and get the conversation rolling. Try to avoid any yes or no questions to keep the conversation flowing.

Ask open ended questions that won’t take your match too long to answer like, “what was the highlight of your day today?” or, “what’s your idea of a perfect night in?”. Check out our list of Bumble prompts to get the conversation started.

4. Use the Question Game feature

To help with conversation starters, Bumble Bantr has a Question Game feature where you can look through icebreaker questions until you find one you’d like to use. Once you send the question, both you and your match have to respond to the question before the answer is revealed. You and your match will have fun playing the game and trying to reply to the questions before the time is up.

To get started, press the “Play Question Game” button above the text box.

5. Keep an open mind

One of the most important things to remember while playing Bumble Bantr is to keep an open mind. If you’ve ever speed-dated before, you might find it to be a new experience and a way of dating you’re not used to. Give it a chance and keep the conversation flowing with your match, even if the chat didn't start off how you imagined it would.

6. Talk about Ted Lasso

Since Bumble Banter is based on the TV series, you and your match may find some shared interests by talking about Ted Lasso. There will be a lot of huge fans of Ted Lasso playing the game, which makes this a great opportunity to talk about the comedy series. Open up with a Ted Lasso reference or question to get the conversation started. You can ask your match about who their favorite character is or what their favourite episode is to get them interested and excited about talking to you.

This new Bantr live feature on Bumble is a great way for people who share their love of the series Ted Lasso to put themselves out there, enjoy a few rounds of speed dating, and form a genuine connection with someone online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bantr a real dating app?

Bantr is a fictional dating app featured in the Apple TV+ show, Ted Lasso, which the character Keeley Jones helps promote. While it does not exist as a separate entity in the app store, the bumble app partnered with the show to create a bumble bantr experience. This allowed real users to engage in a similar chat format for a limited time, focusing on connection rather than aesthetics.

Is there a real life version of Bantr?

Bantr is not a standalone real life application, which means there is no actual company that had issues with a real ad or legal requirements. The only way to access the specific bantr live features was through the official bumble integration that ran as a special promotional event. This gave users a chance to experience the show's vision of blind dating within a trusted, existing app.

What is Bantr on Ted Lasso?

Bantr is a fictitious dating app on the show Ted Lasso that emphasizes personality over looks by hiding user photos until a connection is made. In the series, characters like Rebecca find a match by engaging in deep conversation without initially knowing the identity or physical appearance of the other person. This experience was designed to help a player or any other user build a meaningful bond through text chat before they ever go on a real date.

Can I browse Bumble without joining?

No, you generally cannot browse bumble users without creating your own profile and joining the platform. The app requires a formal sign-up to ensure a safe and verified environment for everyone looking for a match. While it is free to join and explore, you must be an active user to interact with others, although you can manage your profile visibility using various privacy tools available in 2026.

Conclusion

Bumble Bantr continues to be a standout feature within the bumble app for those tired of the traditional swiping experience. Inspired by the hit Ted Lasso series on Apple TV+, this mode allows users to prioritize personality over a curated profile. It captures that same magic rebecca experienced, forcing every player to rely on their wit and conversation skills during a timed chat.

Taking part in a bantr live session is free and offers a refreshing change of pace in the modern dating landscape. By removing photos until a match is made, the bumble bantr experience levels the playing field for every user. Whether you are looking for a serious date or just a fun way to spend your time, the mechanics of this dating app feature encourage genuine connection through shared interests rather than just a photo. For comprehensive dating success across all platforms, consider letting us optimize your dating profile to attract even more attention.

In 2026, the bantr feature remains one of the most engaging ways to find a match without the immediate pressure of physical judgment. If you are ready to put your personality first, head over to the app and jump into the next session. It’s time to see if your chat game is as strong as you think.