Bumble to Replace Swiping With AI Matchmaking in Major App Redesign

Bumble, the popular dating app known for letting women make the first move, has announced a big change. The company is planning to end its well-known swipe feature. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd shared this news during her appearance on The Axios Show. 

Photo Credit: HT Tech

She said Bumble will remove swiping and bring a completely new experience to dating apps. Bumble is preparing for a full product relaunch later this year, and the new features will first launch in selected markets during the fourth quarter of 2026.

The swipe feature, where users swipe right if they are interested and left if they are not, became very popular after Tinder introduced it in 2012. Bumble also adopted this system early. On Bumble, a match happens only when both users swipe right, and then women must start the conversation within 24 hours. 

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But after years of using this system, many users, especially Gen Z, have become tired of constant swiping. A survey by Forbes Health and OnePoll found that nearly 78 percent of young dating app users feel burnout from endless swiping, causing emotional and mental stress.

To solve this problem, Bumble is now focusing on artificial intelligence. The company has been developing an AI dating assistant called Bee. Bee studies user preferences, conversation styles, and relationship goals to recommend matches based on deeper compatibility instead of quick photo-based decisions. 

It uses Bumble’s large amount of user data to understand what creates successful matches. At first, Bee may work alongside the normal browsing system. Early information suggests the new system could include scrollable profile sections showing interests, lifestyle, and personality traits instead of simple photo swipes.

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Bumble is also changing its women-first messaging system. Whitney Wolfe Herd explained that one gender will no longer always be required to make the first move. However, the app will still keep its original goal of giving women more control in heterosexual matches. This change is meant to make conversations feel more flexible and fair for all users.

Bumble’s decision reflects bigger problems in the dating app industry. User growth has slowed, and Bumble’s paid subscribers dropped by 21 percent to 3.2 million in the first quarter of 2026. Other dating apps like Hinge have already moved toward profile-based interactions, while apps like Aisle use curated matches. By using AI and making these major changes, Bumble hopes to attract new users who are tired of endless scrolling and bring fresh energy to the platform before the launch of Bumble 2.0.