Austin-based Bumble's swipe feature — responsible for countless connections, breakups and everything in between — will soon be no more, founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd announced this week on "The Axios Show."

Why it matters: Wolfe Herd, who returned to the dating app as CEO last year, is making a big bet: ditching core features to pivot toward AI-driven matchmaking and attract new users ahead of a relaunch this year.

• It's a ripe time for a product overhaul as Bumble deals with a sagging business, Gen Z dating app fatigue and stiff competition from Tinder and Hinge.

Driving the news: "We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category," Wolfe Herd told Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer.

• The changes will roll out in select markets starting in the fourth quarter of this year, though Wolfe Herd was vague on what exactly will replace the swipe.

Also changing: Bumble's signature women-go-first rule.

• "We will not force one gender over another to do something first," Wolfe Herd said — though she added that the app will preserve "the essence of what was always meant to be women making the first move."
• "The Axios Show" is our series featuring top Axios reporters interviewing newsmakers shaping politics, business, tech and culture.

The big picture: Tinder, the No. 1 dating app globally, popularized swiping-to-match and still uses it.

Hinge, the next biggest competitor, never had swipes.

• Instead, users must interact with other people's profiles (liking a photo, responding to a prompt, etc.) before matching.
• Other apps are experimenting with anti-swipe mechanics as users push back against endless scrolling.

The bottom line: "People are feeling exhausted, they're feeling fatigued. They feel like the swipe has degraded their love lives," Wolfe Herd told Axios.

Share this story and subscribe to Axios on YouTube, where the full episode with Whitney Wolfe Herd will premiere next week.

At just 14 years old, Nashville singer-songwriter Iris Copperman is already turning painful middle school experiences into introspective pop music.

Driving the news: Copperman will open for Leon Bridges tonight at the Andy Roddick Foundation's Lasting Legacies Benefit Concert at Stubb's in Austin.

Copperman spoke with us about her new EP "Middle School Dropout," bullying and her Austin show.

This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

1. You've described "Middle School Dropout" as coming out of a difficult chapter. What pushed you to turn that experience into music rather than stepping away from it?

"Music has always been an outlet for me. ... In this case, writing about my middle school days was only the first chapter of learning about kindness and empathy."

• "It shaped how I see people, how I treat them, and even how I move through the world. Writing about it felt like the most honest way to honor that."

2. When people come to see you at Stubb's, what do you hope they learn from a 14-year-old artist?

"I have something to say, and I have a perspective. I think my personal journey is something that people can relate to, whether you're in middle school or an adult.

• "Bullying affects people of all ages, and hopefully, my music can help people of all ages."

📍 If you go: Tickets to Friday's benefit concert are $227.

Three more questions

🍬 Topo Development Group, which previously developed Canopy and Springdale General, is under contract to buy the Lammes Candies property on Airport Boulevard. The iconic candy cane that's part of the facade will be incorporated into the new development. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

🏊 Big Stacy Pool will be closed tomorrow through May 17 for annual spring cleaning and maintenance. (City of Austin)

Quote du jour

"There is no evidence of outside direction or radicalization. ... [T]he investigation indicates...a violent, impulsive attack."

Answer correctly these three questions and you could win a much-coveted shoutout in our Monday edition.

📬 Just reply to this email.

1. What big journalism prize did Texas Monthly senior editor Aaron Parsley win for his article on the devastating 2025 Hill Country floods?
2. Which of these performers is NOT scheduled to perform at this year's ACL Fest, per the lineup organizers released this week: Rüfüs Du Sol, Lorde or Olivia Rodrigo?
3. An Austin professional ultimate frisbee team is hosting the inaugural Texas Ultimate Hall of Fame induction ceremony tomorrow evening. What's the team's name?

👋 Asher here.

The news last week of Spirit Airlines' demise — the low fare airline was ultimately done in by the spike in jet fuel costs — hit home for me.

State of play: My family of five were booked on a Spirit flight out of Austin later this month so that my wife and I could attend our 25th college reunion.

• Of course, we had to scramble to buy more expensive tickets on another airline.

The big picture: With my father in decline, I flew Spirit a lot the last couple years, as a cheap and easy way to visit New York City.

• I was grateful for the excellent, cheery, reliable service and, of course, the cheap airfare — often less than $150 roundtrip.
• I would have gone to see my folks a bunch anyway, but the fact that a Spirit flight was available made each decision to fly that much easier, and somehow made me feel closer to them.

The bottom line: I'll remember Spirit fondly, especially as prices to fly out of Austin likely climb as a consequence of its downfall.