Bumble kills swipe feature and launches AI dating assistant, but users aren't convinced

Bumble is changing, and daters aren't happy. Here's why.

Bumble has announced a massive overhaul lately, but online daters aren't beelining to it. On Monday, Axios posted its full interview with the dating app's founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, where she discussed the already-announced news that Bumble is killing the swipe feature by the end of 2026. However, she also talked about Bumble's in-development AI dating assistant called Bee, also set for an end of year launch, which was announced back in the company's Q4 2025 earnings call. Bumble's lean into an AI-powered product seems to be a long time coming, as Wolfe Herd commented back in May 2024 that she saw AI personas as the future of dating. Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creator today. However, people across social media got wind of Bumble's AI-forward plan, and they're not impressed. One TikTok user who met her partner on Bumble nearly two years ago said the app has "lost the plot" with its focus on AI. Another TikTokker said she gives up. Another still, a single woman, said she "cannot spend another moment in this f*cking hellscape." Wolfe Herd posted a statement on her Instagram account on Tuesday to clarify a few things. "A growing part of the tech world seems to believe human connection can be replicated, automated, or engineered," she wrote. "I believe the opposite, and at Bumble, we are building the opposite." Wolfe Herd said Bumble has "used AI for years to improve safety, reduce bad actors, and help people make better, more meaningful connections. But the next chapter of AI should not be about replacing human connection. It should be about strengthening it." Clarifying that the future of Bumble is "not about automating love," the CEO stated that "the best AI should work quietly in the background so real people can show up fully in the foreground." She also promised "no AI openers, no AI-generated bios." Bumble's approach is that AI should support people in showing up more authentically, not replace or speak for them, the company told Mashable. The team believes it's important that women have a seat at the table in how AI is applied, and ethical and responsible use is paramount to Wolfe Herd and Bumble. Most commenters on Wolfe Herd's post weren't convinced by Bumble's AI-focused "future of connection." The top comment asked what the company is doing about combating deepfakes. Wolfe Herd responded, saying that Bumble has supported legislation to fight deepfakes and invests in safety across its product and policies. Bumble works with nonprofit Partnership on AI, a coalition committed to building a framework for the "responsible use of AI-generated media." "From detection tools and identity protections to partnerships and legal reform, we believe protecting women online must evolve as quickly as the technology itself," she wrote. Another commenter brought up Wolfe Herd's aforementioned comments about AI personas being the future of dating -- at a Bloomberg Tech Summit in 2024, she said onstage, "There is a world where your dating concierge could go and date for you with other dating concierge...and then you don't have to talk to 600 people." On Tuesday's Instagram post, Wolfe Herd called the years-old comment a "sound bite" where "people took a speculative thought experiment and turned it into a product announcement for some reason (click bait)." "I was talking about the far outer edges of what AI could theoretically do someday, not saying Bumble planned to replace human dating with bots," she added. "In fact, the entire point was the opposite: using AI to reduce noise and help people get to real human connection faster." Despite the outcry, Bumble is far from the only dating app to add AI features. Both Tinder and Hinge have, as well, with the former introducing an AI-powered matchmaker, Chemistry, and the latter adding AI features to help write better prompt responses and initial messages. And at the same time, Bumble is also investing more into IRL events, suggesting that it knows there's an appetite for tech-free dating.

AI wants to be your wingman

* Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd teased the app's AI assistant "Bee" coming later this year in an interview with Axios. Zoom in: New York-based Amata coordinates some 2,000 first dates a month, spokesperson Mandy Menaker says. Users who agree to the AI matchmaker's pairing purchase a $20 "date token," and the app plans the details. * To discourage ghosting, the app builds in consequences: If you cancel two dates in a row, you're temporarily blocked from matching. * "It's really focused on intentional dating," Menaker says. Another approach: Carly Malatskey founded SoCal-based AI matchmaker Joey AI after noticing the dating startups she encountered through her venture capital work lacked nuance. "People are choosing a life partner ... as mindlessly as scrolling on TikTok," she says. * With Joey, there's no swiping. There's not even an app. It starts with a phone call between an interested single and their AI matchmaker. I gave Joey a ring. In a mellow Australian accent, the AI asked me my name, job and basic dating preferences, and then went deeper: How important is politics in my relationships? What time did I wake up today? How often have I talked with my family this week? * After that initial call, users are verified and photos are shared, with Joey connecting new hopeful romantics via text. (I opted out of getting matched -- a journalist engaged to her high school sweetheart likely isn't the target audience.) * "Joey starts as a matchmaker and then can grow into this wingman," Malatskey says, with users reaching out to Joey for advice -- and pep talks -- as dates proceed. For San Francisco-based Known, there's no in-app chatting between users, no profiles and no swiping. * Users talk to an AI matchmaker and pay $15 to secure their real-life hang, which also helps prevent no-shows. * The goal, says co-founder and CEO Celeste Amadon, is to feel like you're being introduced by a friend who "understands you really, really well, but knows everybody in your city instead of a couple hundred people." Case in point: Marie Lansley, a 36-year-old San Franciscan, tried out Known to find her "prince charming." She was struck by the matchmaker's emotional intelligence, and appreciated not having to build a profile. * Her first match wasn't love at first bot, but she's not ruling out letting AI find her true love. * "I am not 100% sure it can right now, but maybe it can help me sift through the volume so that I can then go out and meet that person." The bottom line: "Chemistry will always be analog," Lansley says. * AI can help arrange a date, but the rest is up to humans. Go deeper: Bumble plans a reset to lure Gen Z back

Bumble plans a reset to lure Gen Z back

Why it matters: Gen Z is burned out from online dating, but still eager to find connection. Herd thinks AI can bridge that gap. Zoom in: Speaking to Axios last week in Los Angeles, Herd said Bumble is in the midst of a major reinvention, one that will fundamentally change the way users engage with the app. * "It's time for a new interaction model," she said. * "The revolutionary component of Bumble has worn off. Now people are feeling exhausted, they're feeling fatigued. They feel like the swipe has degraded their love lives." State of play: Bumble is launching a new AI assistant within its app called "Bee" that will help users create and optimize their profiles to drive a stronger experience, Herd said. * The app will not encourage AI-generated photos or messages, but rather "Our goal is to leverage AI to make love and connection more human," she said. * "AI can help be a catalyst to them learning how to do it or making a few small tweaks that they didn't even realize were pertinent or relevant to how they could get some better outcomes." How it works: The new app will also change some of the functionality that made Bumble a hit in the first place. * Herd said Bumble is "saying goodbye to the swipe," which for years has been the cornerstone of online dating. * It also "will not force one gender over another to do something first," which is notable considering that when Herd created Bumble, women were encouraged to make the first move among heterosexual matches. * Instead, "we will be basically bottling the essence of what was always meant to be women making the first move -- a confident experience, a safe experience, a dynamic experience -- to get you offline in person on great dates and meetups." * The app will also explore ways to facilitate group dates, and will double down on features like "Bumble BFF" that help users build non-romantic connections. Zoom out: At the core of Bumble's shift is a push to create "a higher quality member base," one that's less spammy and more intentional, per Herd. For Bumble to be a success, it needs to help users eventually turn online interactions into real-world connections. The big picture: Bumble isn't alone. Many major consumer apps, including X, Reddit and Airbnb, have all looked to increase user engagement long term by trying to reduce spammy users and accounts.

End of left & right swipes! Bumble CEO reveals why the dating app is giving up the 'shopping-style' swipe feature

Bumble removes swipe feature: After years of endless left-right swiping, Bumble says it is finally ready to move on from the feature that defined dating apps for an entire generation. The company has confirmed that swiping will disappear in select markets later this year as part of a major app reset focused on authenticity, AI-assisted matchmaking, and reducing dating fatigue. For years, dating apps trained people to make split-second decisions with a thumb movement. Left. Right. Next. Repeat. Now, even Bumble seems ready to admit the formula is broken. The dating app recently teased a major change on Instagram with a simple message: "Dear swiping, it's over." The post instantly turned into a public therapy session for exhausted dating app users. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bumble (@bumble) "It's been over," one user commented. "Yeah to be honest it just isn't working like it used to. None of my friends are meeting quality men on it," another wrote. "Left Bumble a year ago, it was getting impossible," someone else shared. And honestly, Bumble's own CEO appears to agree with them. Is Bumble getting rid of swiping?Speaking on The Axios Show, Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd admitted that dating app culture has changed dramatically since the company launched. "When I started this company, it was revolutionary to use your phone to date," she said. But according to her, that excitement has now turned into exhaustion. "People are feeling fatigued," she explained. "They feel like the swipe has degraded their love lives." That line alone probably explains why Bumble is making its biggest change yet. The company says swiping will disappear in select markets by Q4 this year as part of what it calls "the next Bumble." And no -- this is not just a redesign or a prettier interface. Bumble says it is rebuilding the way people interact on dating apps entirely. What will replace swiping on Bumble?That is the part Bumble is still keeping partially secret. But the company, for bringing a new experience, will likely rely heavily on better recommendation systems, intentional matching, and AI-powered interaction tools instead of endless swipe loops. According to reports, Bumble is also preparing to introduce an AI-powered assistant called "Bee", designed to help users move beyond superficial matching. The company says the goal is not to let AI replace human interaction, but to help people show up better online. That could include: * Helping users improve profiles * Suggesting better photos * Making profiles feel more authentic * Improving match quality * Encouraging real-world meetups fasterHowever, Bumble says it will not allow AI-generated fake photos or AI chatbots pretending to be users. "We will not let you falsify who you are with AI," Wolfe Herd said during the interview. Is Bumble removing the "women make the first move" feature?Not exactly -- but it is changing. Bumble built its entire identity around women messaging first after a match. It became the app's signature feature and separated it from competitors like Tinder. Now, Bumble says the idea is being "redesigned." The company confirmed it will no longer force one gender to always initiate conversations first. Instead, it wants to preserve what it calls the essence of the feature -- creating a safer, more confident, and less exhausting dating experience. In simple terms: the philosophy stays, but the mechanics are changing. Are people tired of dating apps?Bumble's reset is happening at a time when dating app burnout has become impossible to ignore. Even the company itself openly acknowledged that younger users are frustrated with modern dating culture. Wolfe Herd said Bumble spent months speaking directly with users, especially younger women, to understand why people are emotionally checking out of dating apps. According to her, people are tired of: * Endless swiping without meaningful matches * Low-effort conversations * Spam and fake profiles * "Shopping-style" dating experiences * Feeling stuck in a loop instead of finding real connectionsShe also blamed social media culture for making dating feel emotionally draining. "Everyone is staring at someone doing something that looks objectively better than what they're doing," she said, describing modern online culture as increasingly "dystopian." Wolfe Herd argued that some genuinely good people simply do not know how to present themselves on dating apps. "That photo is not doing any favors for you," she joked while explaining how AI could guide users toward better profiles. Still, Bumble insists authenticity is the priority. No AI-generated faces. No fake personalities. No bots talking to matches for you. At least, that is the promise. Bumble to bring group dating next?Yes. Bumble confirmed it is working on a new group dating and meetup feature expected to roll out around late 2026 or early 2027. The company says it will not look like old-school "group date" apps from the past, but instead function more like dynamic group meetups for romantic connections. That may sound random at first, but it fits Bumble's bigger plan: getting people off endless chats and into real-world interactions faster. Because right now, even dating apps seem to know one uncomfortable truth: People are no longer tired of being single. They are tired of swiping.

Top dating app removes key matching features -- signaling big changes to come for finding love online

Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd told Axios that the popular dating app will be doing away with the feature that asks users to swipe right or left on a person to share their interest or disinterest. On top of that, Wolfe Herd said that Bumble is removing one of its foundational features entirely, getting rid of the optional requirement that women message first in heterosexual matches. "We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category," she said on "The Axios Show." It's unclear what exactly will replace swiping, but looking at recent announcements from Bumble, there's a large chance it has something to do with artificial intelligence, Engadget noted. Wolfe Herd, who returned to the dating app as CEO last year, has been discarding core features of the dating app in a move toward more AI-driven features. In March, Bloomberg reported that Bumble was testing an AI-powered assistant called "Bee" that takes matches beyond swiping. When a user opts in to Bee, it will perform an onboarding interview and recommend matches based on the users' "values, relationship goals, communications style, lifestyle and dating intentions." Once Bee finds a compatible match, both users will be notified. Tinder, the No. 1 dating app globally and Bumble's competitor, popularized swiping to match and still uses it. Bumble, the No. 2 app, is now moving away from it, and Hinge, the next biggest competitor, never used swipes and rather allowed users to interact with a prompt or photo to start a conversation. Whatever the change may be, Axios noted that it will roll out in select markers starting in the fourth quarter of this year. "People are feeling exhausted, they're feeling fatigued. They feel like the swipe has degraded their love lives," Wolfe Herd told Axios. And Bumble's signature women-make-the-first-move rule is changing, too. The dating app differentiated itself from the others by requiring women to start the conversation. Though they have introduced other ways to connect with matches, the feature always remained an option. Now, Bumble is breaking up with that standard. "We will not force one gender over another to do something first," Wolfe Herd told Axios. However, she added that the app will preserve "the essence of what was always meant to be women making the first move." Bumble teased the swipe change on Instagram, and people in the comments took the opportunity to express their overall fatigue with the app. "it's been over," a comment read. "Yeah to be honest it's just isn't working like it used to. None of my friends are meeting quality men on it," someone noted. "Left Bumble a year ago, it was getting impossible," a user shared. "What's new? Another form of disappointment?" one questioned. "all matches with completely incompatible dropouts with commitment issues and more emotional baggage than a WWI vet will now be powered by AI," another quipped. "Will my AI lovebomb me for 4 months then ghost ? Or is that extra," someone joked.