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Business Insider·3 min read·medium

Bumble is launching a new paid group-dating feature as it fights to stay competitive with Tinder

Bumble is launching a new paid group-dating feature as it fights to stay competitive with Tinder
AI Summary

Bumble is launching a paid group-dating feature called 'Plans' in New York to compete with similar offerings from Tinder. The feature allows users to pay a fee to join small, in-person gatherings, marking a shift toward experiential dating.

Why it matters

As dating apps face declining revenue and 'swipe fatigue,' companies are pivoting toward in-person social events to monetize their user base and increase engagement.

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Whitney Wolfe Herd returned to the position of Bumble CEO in 2025. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images Bumble is launching a group-dating feature called "Plans," Business Insider has learned. Users will pay a fee to join a small group event. The feature will roll out in New York in a pilot test this week. Other dating apps are betting on group features, like Tinder's "Double Date" and "Events" tab. Bumble has "Plans" for you. The dating app is set to launch a new group-dating feature called "Plans" this week, Business Insider has learned. The pilot, which launches in New York and costs money to participate in, will bring together small gatherings of Bumble users to meet in-person. Users must pay a flat fee to RSVP to a "Plan." After signing up, Bumble users can also invite a plus-one to tag along to the "Plan." That friend must also pay the RSVP fee. Daters will see the meet-up location after payment. After attending the "Plan," Bumble will ask users about their experience and whether they liked any specific attendees. Then, users can match with those crushes and continue messaging on the app. Bumble's latest feature joins a slew of other dating apps embracing in-person experiences, as worries of "swipe fatigue" grow. It also represents a new potential revenue stream for the company, which has faced declining revenue. The company's full-year total revenue decreased by 9.9% between 2025 and 2024, and was down 14.1% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026. In a Slack message sent to employees this week, Bumble announced the launch of the "Plans" social handle, @plansbybumble. The account is still private, though its profile logo matches images Business Insider viewed. While this "Plans" launch is limited to New York, Bumble plans to roll out the feature nationally, based on performance. The @plansbybumble account is currently private. Screenshot via Instagram The move echoes two recent launches from Tinder, one of Bumble's primary competitors. Tinder launched "Double Date" in June, a social dating feature that lets users swipe (and meet up) with their friends. In March, Tinder announced a new "Events" tab, which connected users to in-person dating experiences. The feature is still testing in Los Angeles, across the country from Bumble's "Plans" pilot. "Events are fun, they're low-pressure, they're social, they're safe," Tinder CEO Spencer Rascoff told Business Insider in March. "They're bringing Tinder into the physical world in a way that is consistent with our users' lifestyles." Like much of the dating app category, Bumble's stock has suffered recently. The stock is down around 45% year over year. Bumble has tried similar in-person dating experiences. In 2022, the company launched Bumble IRL , a series of local events to "meet cool people in your city." The company is also hosting a handful of bar events in New York this summer. Meanwhile, a variety of new dating app startups promise to get users more face-to-face connections, like Court IRL, First Round's on Me, and 222. Read the original article on Business Insider

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