As soon as you’ve matched with a bagel from Suggested or Discover (meaning you’ve liked them and they’ve liked you back), you can start chatting right away in the Chats section.
If you’ve liked a bagel, but they haven’t liked you back yet, you’ll have to wait until it’s a match to chat. If you like a bagel that hasn’t liked you first, you may also have the option of sending a Message With a Like. Your bagel will see this message at the top of your profile if you’re surfaced to them. If they like you back, this message will appear as the first in your chat conversation with them.
(Note: To know whether someone has liked you first, pay attention to the banner at the bottom of a bagel’s profile picture that will say, “He/She likes you.” If you don’t hear anything after 2 weeks, you can assume the bagel has decided to pass on you.)