On May 5, the dating app Bumble posted a cryptic message on Instagram: “Dear swiping, it’s over. – Bumble.”
The post prompted comments filled with suspicious eye emoji, confusion, and guesses as to what this means. It was also shared the same day as Bumble’s Q1 2026 earnings report, which stated that Bumble‘s total revenue decreased 14.1 percent year over year compared to Q1 2025, and that total paying users decreased 21.1 percent in the same period.
While total average revenue per paying user and net earnings both increased (8.9 percent and 165.4 percent year-over-year, respectively), Bumble has made it known that it’ll be trying something different.
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But does that mean that Bumble is getting rid of the swipe, an integral part of its app (as well as its rival, Tinder), since its inception?
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It’s difficult to say. A Bumble spokesperson told Mashable, “We have shared that Bumble is entering an exciting new chapter, with meaningful product innovations on the horizon. Our focus remains on bringing our members together in real life, in intentional ways, and that begins with how they connect on Bumble.”
The “new chapter” is likely what Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd called “Bumble 2.0” in the previous earnings call in March. Wolfe Herd said then, “We are rearchitecting the entire Bumble experience from start to finish,” and that the team is focused on product and technology innovation. This includes a new tech stack for the app’s backend, as well as an AI-powered experience called, simply, Dates.
Wolfe Herd continued to discuss this reimagining of Bumble in yesterday’s earnings call. The new tech platform is apparently launching in the coming weeks, she said, and the new platform experience as a whole (including a new interaction model and profile system) is rolling out throughout 2026.
It also seems that Bumble is investing more in IRL events, likely due to the explosion of offline dating events in recent years. The app is hosting events in both the U.S. and Europe, with Bumble “taking over” a host of New York City bars this summer, and partnering with local dating events in London.
It’s clear that many dating app users are frustrated, so it makes sense that Bumble is trying to switch it up. Will it pay off?
