Bumble teases a swipe-free future as it doubles down on IRL meetups
TechCrunch
β’Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:39:47 +0000
π° What Happened
On its second-quarter earnings call, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said the company's new app, Plans, which connects people for in-person group meetups, showed promising early results, and that Bumble will lean more into real-life experiences going forward. She described group socialising as how Gen Z prefers to meet and positioned Bumble as a bridge from meeting to socialising to dating, signalling that the swipe era is ending.
π The Backstory
Bumble first experimented with real-world platonic connections through Bumble BFF, which gained traction with Gen Z women. The shift follows Tinder's announcement this week that it too is doubling down on in-person events, reflecting a broader industry move away from the traditional swipe model as younger users grow tired of it. Bumble launched Plans last month.
π― Why It Matters
A pivot away from swiping represents a strategic bet aimed at winning over Gen Z users disillusioned with traditional dating apps, which have struggled with engagement and monetisation. If Plans proves out, it could reshape how dating platforms compete, but it also carries execution risk in a crowded, low-margin space.
On its second-quarter earnings call, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said the company's new app, Plans, which connects people for in-person group meetups, showed promising early results, and that Bumble will lean more into real-life experiences going forward. She described group socialising as how Gen Z prefers to meet and positioned Bumble as a bridge from meeting to socialising to dating, signalling that the swipe era is ending.
Bumble first experimented with real-world platonic connections through Bumble BFF, which gained traction with Gen Z women. The shift follows Tinder's announcement this week that it too is doubling down on in-person events, reflecting a broader industry move away from the traditional swipe model as younger users grow tired of it. Bumble launched Plans last month.
A pivot away from swiping represents a strategic bet aimed at winning over Gen Z users disillusioned with traditional dating apps, which have struggled with engagement and monetisation. If Plans proves out, it could reshape how dating platforms compete, but it also carries execution risk in a crowded, low-margin space.