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The dwindling popularity of what was once one of the world's biggest dating apps has prompted the company behind it to initiate a dramatic change, dropping an iconic feature in favor of an unexpected new direction.
Dating apps have completely changed how the modern world finds romance, as what was once reserved for shared connections or chance meetings now takes place almost exclusively through people's phones in a reflection of broader societal shifts.
Apps like Tinder and Hinge dominate the general market right now, with many more niche options filling in the gaps, but one former heavyweight has fallen by the wayside in recent years after people have favored other alternatives.
It used to be the case that if you didn't use Tinder, you used Bumble, as while the former offered a more generalist approach, the latter was famous for its stance on women making the first move.
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Dramatic change is on the horizon for Bumble, but following a 90 per cent drop in stock value following its initial public offering in 2021, with returning CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd indicating that big changes are on the way in a potentially game-changing bet.
As reported by Axios, Wolfe Herd revealed on a May 6 edition of The Axios Show that Bumble will soon be ditching the swipe-based mechanics that it has operated on since its creation, in addition to getting rid of its gender-based rules that gave the app its unique approach.
"We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category," Wolfe Herd revealed during the show, remaining vague, however, on the specifics regarding this 'revolutionary' replacement.
It's not out of the ordinary for dating apps to be without a swipe despite Tinder's dominance, as its closest rival, Hinge, instead encourages people to match via prompt-based responses. Still, Bumble's switch-up appears to be leveraging AI for 'smart' matchmaking that could place your dream partner right underneath your nose in a similar way to its competitors.
Wolfe Herd also commented on the decision to be rid of the women-first rules, illustrating that "we will not force one gender over another to do something first," emphasizing that it will still preserve "the essence of what was always meant to be women making the first move.”
What form this manifests itself within is unclear right now, and many might be worried that it leads to the disintegration of everything that made Bumble stand out against its peers in the dating app world.
