Bumble Ditches Swipe for AI-Based Matching

Bumble, the world's No. 2 dating app, will eliminate swipe and make AI-based matching the core experience in its relaunch later this year.

• CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in an interview with Axios that the company is shifting to a more dynamic approach to replace swiping.
• The new version will first launch in some markets in Q4 of this year, and will make use of story-based expressions of interest in addition to profiles.
• Bumble plans to have users use Bee, the generative AI dating assistant unveiled in March, like a personal matchmaker.
• The company said it will more actively encourage the transition to in-person meetings by reducing situations where conversations drag on without leading to an actual meeting.
• Bumble is also ending the policy that required women to message first, saying it will no longer force either gender to make the first move.
• Behind the overhaul is poor performance. In Q1 2026, paying users stood at 3.2 million, down about 21% from 4 million the previous year.
• However, Q4 results exceeded expectations, with average revenue per paying user rising 7.9% to $22.20.