Category: Bumble

Bumble’s “For The Love of Love” Reframes Subscriptions as Investments in Romance

Posted on September 18, 2025
Bumble For the Love of Love

THE DRUM – Bumble’s “For The Love of Love” campaign shows soft-focus scenes of real couples, handholding, kitchen dancing, dinner parties, even a baby bump, to frame its £30–£40 subscriptions as an investment in future happiness. The strategy shifts the app from a short-term dopamine hit to a long-term identity-driven purchase, asking users to stay subscribed with the promise that patience will pay off. The campaign leans on System 2 storytelling, using romantic imagery and social proof to normalize delay, positioning subscriptions as comparable to a gym membership rather than an impulse buy.

See full article at The Drum

Dating Apps Under Fire: Safety Warnings Aren’t Enough

Posted on September 16, 2025
Dating Apps Under Fire: Safety Warnings Aren't Enough

LSJ ONLINE – Attacks and scams on dating apps have surged, with Australia seeing reports more than double in the past year. Courts have sentenced offenders ranging from adult gangs to teenagers exploiting the platform. Grindr has issued in-app safety alerts and cooperates with law enforcement, but critics argue that warnings aren’t enough. Australia’s new Online Dating Code, signed by major apps including Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and Grindr, requires safety measures, transparency reports, and stronger user protections. Still, legal experts stress that apps face growing expectations to go beyond alerts, with calls for identity verification, real-time cooperation with police, and proactive safeguards to stop predators before harm occurs.

See full article at LSJ Online

Cybersecurity Scan Flags Weaknesses Across Major Dating Apps

Posted on September 4, 2025

GLOBE NEWSWIRE – A recent analysis by the cybersecurity platform Business Digital Index (BDI) suggests that many dating apps may have security gaps, with most of the 24 platforms studied receiving poor grades in its scoring system. Only Bumble and EliteSingles scored in the “B” range, while others were marked lower, and some, including Coffee Meets Bagel and Zoosk, received failing grades. The report highlighted recurring weaknesses such as unpatched software, weak email authentication, TLS encryption issues, and web application flaws. BDI notes that its findings are based on external scans of publicly visible systems rather than full internal audits.

See full article at GlobeNewswire

Whitney Wolfe Herd Is Developing New AI Matchmaking App to Move Beyond Swiping

Posted on September 1, 2025
A person holding a smartphone displaying a dating app with profile pictures and names on the screen.

WALL STREET JOURNAL – Bumble is developing a new AI-powered matchmaking app, separate from its core platform, with a beta release planned for fall. Built on attachment theory and informed by psychologists, the app will use relationship history and user conversations to create profiles, generate matches, and even help plan dates. The goal is to move beyond swiping and superficial traits toward deeper compatibility. At the same time, improvements are being made to the existing app by pushing users to complete stronger profiles. The initiative comes as the company faces falling market value, user fatigue with swiping, and broader industry struggles with growth and retention.

See full article at Wall Street Journal

Podcast With Whitney Wolfe Herd, Adam Cohen-Aslatei, and Steven Cole on Why Modern Dating Feels Broken

Posted on August 25, 2025

BumbleWBUR – On this episode of WBUR's On Point, host Amory Sivertson speaks with Whitney Wolfe Herd, CEO of Bumble; Adam Cohen-Aslatei, CEO of matchmaking company Three Day Rule; and Steven Cole, founder of Lunge, a dating app that connects people through fitness communities like gyms and run clubs. Whitney acknowledged that dating apps have left many people feeling exhausted. She said swiping has distorted human interaction by offering too much choice without enough context, reducing people to quick judgments. Returning to Bumble after stepping away, she wants to overhaul the app to emphasize safety, compatibility, and more complete profiles, moving away from gamification and shallow engagement. Adam Cohen-Aslatei said dating apps encourage treating people like objects, with quick photo-based judgments. At Three Day Rule, he focuses on matching through shared values and long-term compatibility, using feedback from dates to improve results. He argued dating is a skill people aren't taught, which makes the process harder. Steven Cole of Lunge noted that men often need 1,500 likes for one date on apps, and said in-person meetups like run clubs create more authentic connections.

See full article at WBUR

Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

Bumble Q2 2025 Financial Results

Posted on August 8, 2025

Bumble incBUSINESSWIRE – Bumble's total revenue decreased 8% to $248M. Bumble app revenue decreased 7.6% to $201M, compared to $218M in Q2 2024. Badoo app and other revenue decreased 7.5% to $47M. Total paying users decreased 8.7% to 3.8M. Net loss was $367M, which included $405M of non-cash impairment charges, compared to net earnings of $38M, or 14% of revenue.

See full article at Bumble website

Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

Bumble Appoints New CFO

Posted on August 8, 2025
Headshot of Kevin D. Cook, newly appointed CFO of Bumble, smiling and wearing a sweater over a collared shirt.

PRESS RELEASE – Bumble has named Kevin D. Cook as CFO, effective Aug 12, 2025, replacing interim CFO Ronald J. Fior, who will stay on as an advisor through August. Cook brings over 30 years of financial experience, most recently serving as CFO at Cloudera, and previously held senior roles at Barracuda Networks and several investment banks.


See full article at Bumble website

Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

Bumble’s CEO Isn’t Giving up on Helping People Make New Friends

Posted on August 7, 2025

Bumble For Friends
BUSINESS INSIDER – Bumble will launch a new version of its friend-making app, Bumble For Friends. It's a "long-term growth" opportunity for the company…as demand for friendship, real-world connection, and belonging continues to grow." BFF is built on Geneva, a community platform Bumble acquired ($17m in July '24). One-on-one matching, IRL events, and community features are included. Friend-making apps have been having a moment, too. IRL apps 222, Pie, and Timeleft are setting people up with strangers or connecting them with local communities. Bumble reported a 7.6% YOY Q2 decline in revenue, decreasing from $269M in 2024 to $248M. Paying users declined 8.7%.

See full article at Business Insider

Mark Brooks: Bumble is beautifully positioned to be social, but the path is fraught with danger. Dating and social are antithetical. However, I think Bumble, under Whitney, can pull this off.

Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

India’s Dating Apps Struggle to Grow as Investors Stay Cautious

Posted on July 28, 2025

India's Dating Apps Struggle to Grow as Investors Stay CautiousSTORYBOARD 18 – India's dating app market has raised $21M so far, with funding peaking in 2015 and picking up slowly since 2020. But investors remain careful due to high user dropout rates, expensive marketing costs, and tough competition from global giants like Tinder and Bumble. Only 1% of users pay for premium features, and most apps lose users quickly after sign-up. Local players like TrulyMadly, Juleo, Flutrr are trying new ideas like meme-based matching and offline events to attract Gen Z.

See full article at Storyboard 18

Curated by the Courtland Brooks team

Dating Apps to Add Age Checks in the UK

Posted on July 24, 2025

Age verification is comingMASHABLE – Starting July 25, dating apps in the UK must implement age verification under the Online Safety Act. Feeld will use Yoti to confirm user age via phone number or selfie, without storing personal data. Tinder will require a clear face photo and may request ID if age can't be verified. Bumble says it already enforces strict age checks and uses selfie and ID verification. Hinge will scan a face photo to confirm users are 18+, storing it for up to three months, with results kept for a year. Rollouts in the U.S. and EU may follow based on regional laws.

See full article at Mashable

Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team