Bumble plans to move beyond the traditional swipe feature

Could the era of endless swiping on dating apps finally be coming to an end? According to Bumble, that future may be nearer than many expected.

In an interview with Axios on Thursday, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd revealed that the company plans to move away from the swipe-based system that has defined dating apps throughout the 2010s.

“We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category,” Wolfe Herd said during the interview.

The announcement comes as Bumble prepares to redesign its platform later this year, following multiple disappointing financial quarters. The dating app has been steadily losing paying users, and the decline continued during the first quarter of this year. Bumble reported that paid users dropped by about 21% to 3.2 million, down from 4 million during the same period last year.

The company’s decision to significantly redesign the app reflects the pressure Bumble is facing as competition intensifies and user interest in traditional dating app experiences continues to cool. However, Wolfe Herd framed the decline differently during the company’s latest earnings call, describing it as part of a broader strategic shift.

“This is a period of real transformation at Bumble over the past few quarters,” she said. “We have executed a deliberate reset of our member base. We made a clear choice to prioritise quality over quantity, focusing on well-intentioned, engaged members. That decision reduced overall scale, but meaningfully improved the health of our ecosystem.”

As Bumble works on its next phase, artificial intelligence is expected to play a major role in the platform’s future direction. The company has already been developing an AI-powered dating assistant called Bee, and Wolfe Herd has repeatedly spoken about how AI could reshape modern relationships and dating experiences.

Dating apps already rely heavily on AI systems behind the scenes to recommend potential matches and personalise user experiences. However, Bumble appears interested in pushing AI integration much further. Wolfe Herd has previously discussed more futuristic ideas involving personal AI assistants interacting with other AI agents on behalf of users before people even meet.

At the same time, younger users — especially Gen Z — have increasingly shown scepticism toward highly visible AI features in consumer apps. That uncertainty raises questions about whether Bumble’s AI-focused strategy will successfully reconnect with users in their 20s who are already showing signs of dating app fatigue.

Bumble’s redesigned experience is expected to roll out during the final quarter of this year. Until then, users will continue to use the familiar swipe-based system that has dominated online dating for more than a decade.