When Bumble posted an enigmatic image on Instagram signaling the conclusion of swiping, users speculated whether the dating platform was genuinely discontinuing this feature. Today, its founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, has confirmed the shift.

During “The Axios Show,” Wolfe Herd remarked, “We will be bidding farewell to the swipe and welcoming something that I believe is transformative for the category.”

The new matching system will roll out in select markets beginning in the fourth quarter of 2026.

What will take the place of the swipe? Wolfe Herd did not provide details, but it likely pertains to the new AI-powered matchmaking experience, Dates. She has also noted on several earnings calls that Bumble is enhancing the app’s backend.

“We are transitioning into our next phase,” Wolfe Herd told Axios’s Sara Fischer, reflecting what a Bumble spokesperson conveyed to Mashable concerning the Instagram announcement.

The complete episode is not live yet; however, according to Axios, Wolfe Herd also indicated that the app will not “mandate one gender to act first,” while preserving “the essence of what was always intended to be women making the first move.”

Since its launch in 2014, Bumble has begun to diverge from its “women making the first move” principle.

In 2024, the app debuted “Opening Moves” to permit men to initiate conversations with women in heterosexual matches. Former CEO Lidiane Jones highlighted dating app fatigue as a justification. Wolfe Herd resumed her role as Bumble’s CEO in early 2025, and in February 2026, the app eliminated this option in Mexico and Australia.

Swiping has been a fundamental aspect of Bumble’s user experience since its inception, two years after Tinder (which Wolfe Herd also co-founded) popularized the swipe model. Nevertheless, with Bumble’s revenue and paying users declining annually, the company appears eager to explore new avenues to reclaim users.

Tinder has recently faced financial downturns as well and has implemented changes.

In March, Tinder unveiled new features, such as an AI matchmaker, Chemistry. Hinge, which does not employ swiping, continues to flourish financially, suggesting that dating app users may be growing weary of using their thumbs to dismiss someone.