Bumble’s paying users are declining as it bets on an overhaul later this year

As Bumble prepares for a major makeover aimed at winning back Gen Z users, who currently rely heavily on dating apps, its latest earnings report indicates that the number of paying users is still declining. In the first quarter of 2026, total paid users fell 21.1% to 3.2 million, down from 4 million a year earlier.

This trend has been the story for the last few quarters. However, during a call to investors this afternoon,

Bumble framed it as a deliberate shift toward higher quality, more intentional users.

So while total revenue fell 14.1% to $212.4 million (although the result was better than expectations), and Bumble app revenue fell to $172.7 million, total average revenue per paying user increased nearly 9%. It also reported higher profits: Net earnings rose to $52.6 million compared to $19.8 million in the year-ago quarter (largely from cuts in sales and marketing expenses).

On the company’s investor call, founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd described the paid-user decline as part of an intentional reset. “This is a period of real transformation at Bumble over the last few quarters,” he said. “We executed a deliberate reset of our member base. We made the clear choice to prioritise quality over quantity, focusing on well-intentioned, engaged members. That decision reduced overall scale but meaningfully improved the health of our ecosystem.”

Still, even with that framework, the shrinking paying user base is difficult to ignore. That’s why most of the conversation on the call was about what would happen next. Bumble is asking investors to wait for its massive turnaround, which it hopes will eventually reverse the trend.

“When do we start to see the improvement in the numbers you’re looking for? Well, the answer is basic. Our technology and next-generation recommendation engine can help connect people more effectively, showing them the individuals they want to meet and enabling them to go on great dates. That’s where the magic happens,” Hurd said.

The overhaul refers to replacing Bumble’s ageing technology platform with a cloud-native, AI-powered platform so it can improve matches and roll out updates more quickly. It has already started rolling out to some users and will expand over the coming months.

However, more noticeable changes are coming later. Bumble said Tuesday that its fully “reimagined” experience for members is now expected to launch in the fourth quarter, with a broader rollout continuing later this year and early next year. The announcement is a little later than previously expected and shows that this is going to be more of a phased rollout than a big relaunch.

And these changes seem quite significant in themselves. The company is confident that the swiping model is outdated and that most matches never turn into actual dates. The company wants to fix these issues by redesigning profiles, changing the way people interact, and focusing more on meeting users in real life.

AI is a big part of that plan. Earlier this year, Bumble introduced a built-in matchmaker called “Bee”, which learns daters’ preferences, relationship goals, and communication style, then suggests matches based on those factors. In a feature called “Dates,” Bee can also tell why two people are suitable for each other before they connect.

Profiles are also changing. Bumble is experimenting with more detailed, “chapter-style” profiles that go beyond just photos and a brief biography.

Additionally, Bumble is also seeing some momentum outside of dating. Its friend-focused app, Bumble BFFs, added a Groups tab last year where users can join chats, plan hangouts, and organise events. According to Hurd, there’s growing engagement, especially among Gen Z women. The company says the number of people joining the group has almost doubled between December and March.

For now, Bumble is kind of in a wait-and-see situation. The hope is that by fine-tuning the way people go from matching to actually going on a date, it can bring users back. But until that new experience is fully revealed, it remains merely a condition.