Bumble has teamed up with the Emmy Award-winning Apple Original series Ted Lasso to bring the show’s fictitious dating app Bantr to life. The free speed dating game, Bantr Live, is exclusively available in Bumble Date mode and works by connecting you with a person at random (based on your gender, age, and location preferences) who you can message with for up to three minutes. 

Just like in the show, Bantr Live puts personality first, meaning you’ll only be able to see the other person’s name when you’re chatting with them, with no idea what their photos or profile look like. When the three minutes are up, both of you will be asked if you’d be interested in matching with the other person. If you both choose to match, your chat will move to your regular Bumble Date conversations queue and you’ll then be able to see the other person’s photos and full Bumble profile.

The game will be available to play every Thursday at 7pm for one hour, and will run from October 13 until the end of the year. You can sign up to play starting October 11. Simply head to the screen where you can swipe through profiles and click on the blue stopwatch in the top right corner. When you hit it you’ll RSVP for the next round of Bantr Live, and you’ll receive a notification when the game is about to start. 

Bantr Live is a fun, low-pressure way to chat with somebody new, but we know it can sometimes be tricky to get some good conversation flowing in a short timeframe. To help, we’ve put together a few tips on how to make the most of Bantr Live. For more about how Bantr Live works, see here.

Use all three minutes

If the chat gets off to a slow start, don’t give up yet! Use the full three minutes to get to know the other player so that you can be sure as to whether or not you’re interested in continuing the conversation. Even in speed dating, it can take time to warm up, so don’t be afraid to switch up the topic or send a follow up question if you’re not getting a response. Who knows, even if you get off to a slow start, they might make you laugh out loud two minutes in! 

Stay open-minded 

Bantr Live is completely new, so remember to stay open-minded as you meet new people. You’ll have the best chase of sparking a connection if you embrace the experience. Even if you don’t love their opening line, give the conversation a chance to blossom. Try not to overthink your replies either. This way you’ll be able to stay authentic and squeeze in as much back and forth as possible.

Have some opening lines ready

To make sure no time is wasted, have some go-to opening lines ready to send for when your chat starts. (Reminder: anyone can start the conversation in Bantr Live.) Whether it’s “What’s been the highlight of your week so far?” or “What’s your go-to karaoke song?” try and ask a question that doesn’t require too much thinking from the other person so that you can get the chat going quickly. Also, try to avoid yes or no questions to keep the conversation flowing. See our list of opening lines here for inspiration! 

Play the Question Game

If you’re struggling to think of a conversation starter, don’t sweat it! Bumble’s Question Game feature is still available in Bantr Live. It lets you shuffle through classic icebreaker questions until you find one you like, or you can type your own. Both you and your match then have to respond before either answer is revealed. To start the game, simply press the “Play Question Game” button above the text box. It’s a quick and fun way to get the conversation started! 

Talk Ted Lasso

Bantr Live is inspired by Emmy Award-winning Apple Original series Ted Lasso, so drop some references to the show to get the chat going. Ask the other person who their favorite character is, or which football team they support IRL. You can also try: 

• Are you a Ted Lasso fan too? 
• Which Ted Lasso character do you relate to the most?
• Favorite Ted Lasso relationship? Either platonic or romantic!
• Which football team do you support? (Apart from AFC Richmond of course!) 
• Do you also refer to “soccer” as “football” after watching Ted Lasso? I know I do!

We know you have what it takes to score your dating goals with Bantr Live, so sign up in the Bumble app starting October 10, and try out these tips every Thursday at 7pm. Ted Lasso is now streaming on Apple TV+.