HomeBumble eliminates swipe feature, CEO says
Could the growing frustration with dating apps finally end the swipe? For Bumble, it appears so.
During an Axios interview on Thursday, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Heard confirmed the company is removing swiping — the signature feature of 2010s dating apps.
“We’re saying goodbye to the swipe and welcoming something I believe will revolutionize the category,” Wolfe Herd said.
Bumble plans a major app overhaul later this year after several lackluster quarters where it steadily lost paying subscribers. In Q1 this year, paid users dropped roughly 21% to 3.2 million, down from 4 million a year earlier.
A full redesign is a drastic move, sending a clear signal to investors that the situation is serious. Yet, like any capable CEO, Wolfe Herd has performed some verbal acrobatics to frame Bumble’s money-losing trajectory as a success.
“This has been a period of genuine transformation at Bumble over recent quarters,” she said during the quarterly earnings call. “We deliberately reset our member base. We chose to prioritize quality over quantity, focusing on well-intentioned, engaged users. That decision shrank our scale but significantly improved the health of our ecosystem.”
Given Wolfe Herd’s previous remarks on Bumble’s new direction, the company is expected to double down on AI — it’s even developing an AI dating assistant named Bee. Wolfe has frequently stated over the years that AI will serve as “a supercharger to love and relationships.”
Dating apps already rely on AI to determine which users are shown to each other. However, Gen Z is increasingly skeptical of overt AI features, and Wolfe Herd has hinted at even more futuristic scenarios, such as personal AI bots dating other AI bots on your behalf. It remains uncertain whether these Black Mirror-like pitches will actually resonate with users in their 20s. Bumble’s overhaul isn’t set to roll out until Q4 of this year, so swiping continues for now.
Related article
Ollie bets privacy focus to win AI assistant race
To be genuinely helpful, an AI assistant must understand its user deeply. Ollie, a personal assistant designed for daily life, operates on the premise that this doesn’t require surrendering your data or compromising your privacy.While certain enterpr
How AI LIVE: London Will Explore AI & Industrial Automation
The summit will convene C-suite executives from around the globe to address pressing challenges in global industries, ranging from AI-driven disruption to economic volatility.AI LIVE: The London Summit will gather over 2,000 international leaders und
Anthropic Enters AI Legal Tech Market as Competition Intensifies
Anthropic unveiled a suite of new chatbot capabilities on Tuesday, aimed at delivering automated support to legal practices. These enhancements expand upon Claude for Legal, the firm-specific platform introduced earlier this year, by adding specializ
Related Special Topic Recommendations
writing
Best AI Outline Generators for Long-Form SEO Articles
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Outline Generators for Long-Form SEO Articles, meticulously curated by XIX.AI. These powerful tools offer game-changing assistance in creating high-quality content quickly, boosting writing efficiency significantly. Get a free vs paid comparison along with real-world tests and detailed rankings to help you find the must-try option that suits your needs. Explore now to unlock your AI edge.
8 tools
xix.ai
Education and Learning
AI Study Tools for Homework and Exam Prep
2026 Latest Best AI Study Tools for Homework and Exam Prep! XIX.AI curates a top-rated list of powerful, game-changing tools that help students boost productivity, streamline homework completion, and ace exams through real-world tests. Get a free vs paid comparison, detailed rankings, and must-try options to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
Music composition
AI Vocal Demo Tools for Songwriters, Hooks, Toplines, and Multilingual Draft Sessions
2026 Latest Best AI Vocal Demo Tools for Songwriters, Hook Creators, and Multi-Language Content Teams! XIX.AI has curated a top-rated list of powerful game-changing tools that go through rigorous real-world tests. You’ll find detailed free vs paid comparison data, comprehensive rankings, and must-try options to help you boost writing efficiency and unlock your creative potential. Explore now to discover your perfect tool for all your content needs!
9 tools
xix.ai
Business
Best AI Competitive Research Tools for Small Businesses
2026 Latest Best Top-rated AI Competitive Research Tools for Small Businesses! XIX.AI has curated a highly powerful game-changing collection, updated weekly with rigorous real-world tests and detailed rankings. You can find a comprehensive free vs paid comparison to help you identify the must-try tools that boost your productivity and give you a competitive edge. Explore now to discover your perfect tool!
9 tools
xix.ai
Image editing
Photoshop AI Retouch Tools for Ecommerce Apparel, Skin Cleanup, and Color Consistency
2026 Latest Best Photoshop AI retouch tools for ecommerce apparel, skin cleanup, and color consistency! This top-rated curated list features powerful game-changing solutions that help you boost writing efficiency, streamline content creation, and achieve perfect visual results effortlessly. Each tool has undergone real-world tests through weekly updated rankings, complete with free vs paid comparison details. Backed by XIX.AI, it’s the must-try guide for anyone aiming to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
Prompt
Best AI Prompt Libraries for ChatGPT Workflows
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Prompt Libraries for optimizing all types of ChatGPT workflows. XIX.AI has curated a powerful, game-changing collection that goes through rigorous real-world tests to ensure top performance. You can find detailed free vs paid comparisons and expert rankings to help you choose the must-try tools that boost your productivity and unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
11 tools
xix.ai
Comments (1)
0/500
![ArthurCarter]()
Finally! The endless swiping was like a casino slot machine for lonely hearts. Let's see if this actually leads to more meaningful connections or just another UX disaster. 🎰
Could the growing frustration with dating apps finally end the swipe? For Bumble, it appears so.
During an Axios interview on Thursday, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Heard confirmed the company is removing swiping — the signature feature of 2010s dating apps.
“We’re saying goodbye to the swipe and welcoming something I believe will revolutionize the category,” Wolfe Herd said.
Bumble plans a major app overhaul later this year after several lackluster quarters where it steadily lost paying subscribers. In Q1 this year, paid users dropped roughly 21% to 3.2 million, down from 4 million a year earlier.
A full redesign is a drastic move, sending a clear signal to investors that the situation is serious. Yet, like any capable CEO, Wolfe Herd has performed some verbal acrobatics to frame Bumble’s money-losing trajectory as a success.
“This has been a period of genuine transformation at Bumble over recent quarters,” she said during the quarterly earnings call. “We deliberately reset our member base. We chose to prioritize quality over quantity, focusing on well-intentioned, engaged users. That decision shrank our scale but significantly improved the health of our ecosystem.”
Given Wolfe Herd’s previous remarks on Bumble’s new direction, the company is expected to double down on AI — it’s even developing an AI dating assistant named Bee. Wolfe has frequently stated over the years that AI will serve as “a supercharger to love and relationships.”
Dating apps already rely on AI to determine which users are shown to each other. However, Gen Z is increasingly skeptical of overt AI features, and Wolfe Herd has hinted at even more futuristic scenarios, such as personal AI bots dating other AI bots on your behalf. It remains uncertain whether these Black Mirror-like pitches will actually resonate with users in their 20s. Bumble’s overhaul isn’t set to roll out until Q4 of this year, so swiping continues for now.
Ollie bets privacy focus to win AI assistant race
To be genuinely helpful, an AI assistant must understand its user deeply. Ollie, a personal assistant designed for daily life, operates on the premise that this doesn’t require surrendering your data or compromising your privacy.While certain enterpr
How AI LIVE: London Will Explore AI & Industrial Automation
The summit will convene C-suite executives from around the globe to address pressing challenges in global industries, ranging from AI-driven disruption to economic volatility.AI LIVE: The London Summit will gather over 2,000 international leaders und
Anthropic Enters AI Legal Tech Market as Competition Intensifies
Anthropic unveiled a suite of new chatbot capabilities on Tuesday, aimed at delivering automated support to legal practices. These enhancements expand upon Claude for Legal, the firm-specific platform introduced earlier this year, by adding specializ
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Outline Generators for Long-Form SEO Articles, meticulously curated by XIX.AI. These powerful tools offer game-changing assistance in creating high-quality content quickly, boosting writing efficiency significantly. Get a free vs paid comparison along with real-world tests and detailed rankings to help you find the must-try option that suits your needs. Explore now to unlock your AI edge.
8 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best AI Study Tools for Homework and Exam Prep! XIX.AI curates a top-rated list of powerful, game-changing tools that help students boost productivity, streamline homework completion, and ace exams through real-world tests. Get a free vs paid comparison, detailed rankings, and must-try options to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best AI Vocal Demo Tools for Songwriters, Hook Creators, and Multi-Language Content Teams! XIX.AI has curated a top-rated list of powerful game-changing tools that go through rigorous real-world tests. You’ll find detailed free vs paid comparison data, comprehensive rankings, and must-try options to help you boost writing efficiency and unlock your creative potential. Explore now to discover your perfect tool for all your content needs!
9 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-rated AI Competitive Research Tools for Small Businesses! XIX.AI has curated a highly powerful game-changing collection, updated weekly with rigorous real-world tests and detailed rankings. You can find a comprehensive free vs paid comparison to help you identify the must-try tools that boost your productivity and give you a competitive edge. Explore now to discover your perfect tool!
9 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Photoshop AI retouch tools for ecommerce apparel, skin cleanup, and color consistency! This top-rated curated list features powerful game-changing solutions that help you boost writing efficiency, streamline content creation, and achieve perfect visual results effortlessly. Each tool has undergone real-world tests through weekly updated rankings, complete with free vs paid comparison details. Backed by XIX.AI, it’s the must-try guide for anyone aiming to unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
10 tools
xix.ai
2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Prompt Libraries for optimizing all types of ChatGPT workflows. XIX.AI has curated a powerful, game-changing collection that goes through rigorous real-world tests to ensure top performance. You can find detailed free vs paid comparisons and expert rankings to help you choose the must-try tools that boost your productivity and unlock your AI edge. Explore now!
11 tools
xix.ai
Finally! The endless swiping was like a casino slot machine for lonely hearts. Let's see if this actually leads to more meaningful connections or just another UX disaster. 🎰
