Bumble’s number of paying users is on the decline as they bet on overhaul later this year

Bumble is gearing up for a major overhaul aimed at winning back Gen Z users (who are currently far too hooked on dating apps), but the company’s latest financials report that it’s still losing paid users. In the first quarter of 2026, the total number of paid users was 3.2 million, down 21.1% from 4 million a year ago.

This is a story that has been going on for several quarters. However, on a conference call with investors this afternoon, Bumble framed this as a deliberate shift towards higher quality, more intentional users.

So total revenue fell 14.1% to $212.4 million (although it beat expectations), and Bumble app revenue fell to $172.7 million, but average total revenue per paying user increased nearly 9%. It also reported an increase in profits. Net income increased to $52.6 million from $19.8 million in the prior year period, primarily due to lower sales and marketing expenses.

During the company’s investor conference call, founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said the decline in paying users was part of a deliberate reset. “It’s been a real transformational period for Bumble over the past few quarters,” she said. “We intentionally reset our membership base. We prioritized quality over quantity and made a clear choice to focus on well-intentioned and engaged members. While that decision reduced our overall size, it meaningfully improved the health of our ecosystem.”

Still, even with that framework, it’s hard to ignore the shrinking paid user base. So a lot of the phone conversation was about what would happen next. Bumble is asking investors to look ahead to a major overhaul and hopes this trend will eventually reverse.

“When will the numbers you’re looking for start to rebound? Well, the answer is very simple: When our technology and next-generation recommendation engines can actually connect people better and guide them to the people they want to meet and great dates. That’s where the magic happens,” Hurd said.

The overhaul replaces Bumble’s outdated technology platform with a cloud-native, AI-powered platform that will allow it to improve matches and deploy updates more quickly. This has already started rolling out to some users and will be expanded over the coming months.

However, the more noticeable changes appear later. Bumble said Tuesday that a complete “reimagined” experience for members is expected to launch in the fourth quarter, with broader rollout expected to continue late this year and early next year. This is a bit later than originally expected, indicating that this will be a gradual rollout rather than one big reboot.

And the change itself seems to be quite significant. The company is making a big bet that the swipe model is outdated and most matches won’t result in actual dates. The company hopes to solve this problem by redesigning profiles, changing the way people interact, and putting more emphasis on meeting users in real life.

AI is a big part of that plan. Earlier this year, Bumble introduced something called “Bee.” It’s a built-in matchmaker that learns your date’s preferences, relationship goals, and communication style and suggests matches based on those factors. In a feature called “Date,” Bea may also explain why two people are a good match before they tie the knot.

Your profile will also change. Bumble has been experimenting with more detailed “chapter-style” profiles that go beyond just a photo and short bio.

Additionally, Bumble is gaining traction outside of dating. Bumble BFF, a friend-centric app, added a “Groups” tab last year that lets users join chats, plan hangouts, and organize events. Hurd said there is growing engagement in the field, especially among Gen Z women. The company touts that participation in the group nearly doubled between December and March.

For now, Bumble seems to be in wait-and-see mode. It is hoped that by modifying the process from matching to actually dating, it will be possible to attract users again. But until that new experience is fully launched, it’s still just a gamble.