Bumble's swipe feature — responsible for countless connections, breakups and everything in between — will soon be no more, founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd announced Wednesday on "The Axios Show."
Why it matters: Wolfe Herd, who returned to the dating app as CEO last year, is making a big bet: ditching core features to pivot toward AI-driven matchmaking and attract new users ahead of a relaunch this year.
- It's a ripe time for a product overhaul as Bumble deals with a sagging business, Gen Z dating app fatigue and stiff competition from Tinder and Hinge.
Driving the news: "We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category," Wolfe Herd told Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer.
- The changes will roll out in select markets starting in the fourth quarter of this year, though Wolfe Herd was vague on what exactly will replace the swipe.
Also changing: Bumble's signature women-go-first rule.
- "We will not force one gender over another to do something first," Wolfe Herd said — though she added that the app will preserve "the essence of what was always meant to be women making the first move."
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The big picture: Tinder, the No. 1 dating app globally, popularized swiping-to-match and still uses it.
- Bumble, No. 2, is now walking away from it.
Hinge, the next biggest competitor, never had swipes.
- Instead, users must interact with other people's profiles (liking a photo, responding to a prompt, etc.) before matching.
- Other apps are experimenting with anti-swipe mechanics as users push back against endless scrolling.
Between the lines: Dating apps have been on the rocks with Wall Street for years.
- Bumble's stock has plummeted more than 90% since its 2021 IPO, and growth among paying users has stalled.
The intrigue: Bumble teased the swipe change earlier Wednesday in a cheeky post with few details.
The bottom line: "People are feeling exhausted, they're feeling fatigued. They feel like the swipe has degraded their love lives," Wolfe Herd told Axios.
Go deeper: Dating apps' existential crisis
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