Bumble is scrapping its trademark swipe mechanic in favor of an as‑yet‑unnamed interaction, CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd told Axios. The shift will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2026 and launch in a limited set of markets. Alongside the swipe removal, the app is also dropping the optional rule that required women to message first in heterosexual matches for now.

The replacement is rumored to lean heavily on artificial intelligence. Earlier this year Bumble unveiled an AI‑driven dating assistant called “Bee”, which interviews newcomers, suggests compatible profiles and can even propose date ideas. If Bee or a similar system powers the new interaction, users may receive curated prompts for users instead of binary left‑right choices, reshaping how initial interest is expressed.

Bumble’s overhaul arrives as rivals like Tinder and Hinge already experiment with AI and non‑swipe interfaces. By removing both swipes and the gender‑based messaging rule, the company hopes to broaden appeal and modernize matchmaking. The limited‑release rollout will reveal whether AI‑guided prompts can sustain engagement better than the familiar swipe that has dominated dating apps for years in market.