Bumble announced in August 2026 that it is moving away from swiping as its core interaction model, highlighting early results from its new app Plans and teasing a future redesign of how users connect on its flagship platform.
The company shared the update during its second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said Plans, which is designed to connect people in low-pressure, small group settings such as drinks and dinners at local spots, had shown “promising results” in early tests. She added that Bumble would “lean more into real-life experiences” going forward.
“I am a firm believer that the future of meeting people in groups will become more important,” Wolfe Herd told analysts. “Group socializing is a real part of how Gen Z prefers to meet, and we believe Bumble represents a natural bridge from meeting to socializing to then dating.”
Plans users can continue conversations within Bumble’s app without swiping or sharing a phone number — a feature Bumble is positioning as an advantage with younger users who have grown tired of traditional online dating formats.
Wolfe Herd also confirmed that a new interaction model to replace the swipe entirely is in development, describing it as “a shift away from optimizing for swipe speed and velocity towards something more intentional.” She declined to reveal specifics, citing competitive reasons, but said it is “designed to generate more immediate interactions and, most importantly, better outcomes, mimicking real life.” The transition will be gradual, she said, to avoid disrupting the existing ecosystem. Bumble also said it plans to incorporate more AI tools, while clarifying it would not become an “AI-driven experience.”
The announcements come as Bumble works through a turnaround period. Q2 revenue fell 15.2% year-over-year to $210.5 million, and the company’s stock declined following a Q3 forecast showing a drop in paying customers, despite beating earnings expectations for the quarter.
Bumble’s shift mirrors a move by rival Tinder, which also announced this week that it is expanding its focus on in-person events — a signal that the broader online dating industry may be reconsidering the swipe-based model that defined it for more than a decade.
Source: TechCrunch