Bumble to Drop Swipe Feature, CEO Announces
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd confirmed in an interview with Axios that the dating app will eliminate swiping, its signature feature from the 2010s. The overhaul comes after multiple quarters of declining paid users, which fell 21% to 3.2 million in Q1 2026 from 4 million the previous year. Wolfe Herd described the move as "revolutionary for the category" and part of a "deliberate reset" prioritizing quality over quantity. Bumble is expected to integrate AI, including a dating assistant called Bee, and Wolfe Herd has speculated about AI bots dating on behalf of users. The redesign is slated for launch in Q4 2026.
Key facts
- Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd confirmed the removal of swiping in an Axios interview.
- Swiping is the defining feature of 2010s dating apps.
- Bumble's paid users fell 21% to 3.2 million in Q1 2026 from 4 million in Q1 2025.
- The app overhaul follows several disappointing quarters with consistent user loss.
- Wolfe Herd called the change 'revolutionary for the category.'
- Bumble is working on an AI dating assistant called Bee.
- Wolfe Herd has discussed AI bots dating other AI bots on behalf of users.
- The redesign is expected to launch in the last quarter of 2026.
Entities
Institutions
- Bumble
- Axios