Overview
- Bumble confirmed on Thursday on The Axios Show that it will remove swiping and introduce a new way to match.
- The company said the changes will start rolling out in select markets in the fourth quarter of 2026, so the current swipe experience stays in place for now.
- CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said the app will stop forcing one gender to send the first message, while keeping the spirit of women initiating built into the experience.
- The relaunch will lean on artificial intelligence for matchmaking, with past comments and reporting pointing to an AI assistant called Bee that has not yet launched.
- Bumble framed the overhaul as a response to business strain, with paid users down about 21% year over year to 3.2 million in Q1 and the stock far below its 2021 debut, as rivals test non-swipe models and users tire of endless swiping.