Bumble CEO reveals it’s killing off the swipe on “The Axios Show”

AXIOS·2d ago·3 min read

Photograph via Axios

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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.""The Axios Show" is our interview series featuring top Axios reporters interviewing newsmakers shaping politics, business, tech and culture.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 crisisSubscribe to Axios on YouTube, where the full episode with Whitney Wolfe Herd will premiere next week.