Key Takeaways

In a recent interview with Sara Fisher on The Axios Show, Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd announced that swiping, the method by which most dating app users determine matches, is no longer part of Bumble’s long-term future. 

“We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category,” she told Fisher. “In select markets in Q4, the swipe will be gone.” 

This is a drastic move in an industry that has come to be defined by the swipe. But even I, a longtime supporter of the seamless swipe, can understand why Bumble is sunsetting it.

When total downloads, revenue, and paying users plummet over a sustained period, you’re going to zero in on the most publicly maligned element — in this case, the swipe. By deleting the swipe, Bumble is disrupting the traditional app format at a fundamental level.

To me, Bumble’s message is loud and clear: If we’re going to survive in this new era of dating, we need to shed the weight of the past. 

And for better or worse, the swipe function is an artifact from a bygone era, a time when scads of matches were thrilling enough to keep us engaged. Now, we’re not so easily impressed.

Why Is Bumble Getting Rid of the Swipe? 

As a dating writer, I’ve witnessed Bumble’s many recovery attempts over the last few years. Some have been more dramatic than others, with Wolfe Herd’s return as CEO and Bumble slashing 30% of its workforce among the more high-profile swings. But some would argue that these moves were not unlike putting Band-Aids on bullet holes. 

“If you look at every great company, no company just stays flat or stagnant,” Wolfe Herd said, admitting, “Bumble’s product is still the product you had seven years ago.” 

As a legacy brand, Bumble’s high-profile reputation both chokes and empowers it. “We have been operating on legacy tech infrastructure,” Wolfe Herd said. Users haven’t shied away from expressing their concerns about how Bumble’s once-beloved format has grown stale. 

“Now, people are feeling exhausted. They’re feeling fatigued. They feel like the swipe has degraded their love lives,” Wolfe Herd explained. Creating an entirely new system doesn’t only meet the user’s needs, but Bumble’s, too. 

After all, daters’ needs have changed so much that the apps they use have to evolve just as dramatically. Bumble’s line of thinking is understandable enough: Daters can’t suffer from swipe fatigue if they can’t swipe, right? 

How Else Will Bumble Change Going Forward?

Don’t be fooled: Bumble’s large-scale changes do not begin and end with the swipe mechanism. As Wolfe Herd explained:  

“I fundamentally believe when you have all of the pieces in place — a higher quality member base, a new interaction model, a modernized profile, a next-gen recommendation engine, a modern tech stack — and all of those components to come together with a more premium subscription offering, this is … the turnaround that I came back for.”

Wolfe Herd has stayed mum on how exactly Bumble plans to replace the swipe mechanism; we probably won’t learn more until later this year. But it’s clear that Bumble isn’t just getting rid of the swipe mechanism and changing nothing else. 

This full-scale innovation is Bumble’s attempt to go all-in on this new era of dating — to provide an entirely new product while preserving its reputation as a trusted legacy brand. 

But it’s not the first legacy app to attempt a rebrand. Earlier this year, Tinder distanced itself from its hookup reputation with a wave of new features in an effort to meet modern needs. If Tinder can do it, why not Bumble? 

Wolfe Herd seems to agree. “It’s time for a new interaction model,” she said. “It’s time for the next Bumble.”