Bumble teases a swipe-free future as it doubles down on IRL meetups
Bumble is shifting its strategy away from traditional swiping toward real-world social events to attract Gen Z users. The company is promoting its new 'Plans' app, which facilitates group meetups to foster organic connections.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader industry trend where dating apps are pivoting to address user fatigue with digital swiping in favor of in-person social experiences.
Tinder isn’t the only major dating app turning away from the swipe and toward real-world events to attract Gen Z users who’ve grown tired of traditional online dating. On Wednesday, Bumble touted the early success of its newest app, Plans, designed to connect people “IRL” in low-pressure group settings, and spoke of what comes next for Bumble’s flagship app after the “swipe” is dead.
On its second-quarter earnings call with investors, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said Plans showed “promising results” in early tests over the past few months, and the company would “lean more into real-life experiences” going forward.
Combined with Tinder’s news this week that it, too, is doubling down on in-person events , it’s clear there’s a major shift happening in online dating. Simply put, the swipe era is coming to an end.
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