A new and exciting app called Slingshot is taking the world of photo sharing by storm. Developed by Tommy Searle, the app combines the serendipity of BeReal snaps with the friends-only photo sharing popularized by apps like Snapchat. What sets Slingshot apart is its unique and engaging interaction style. By pulling down on the screen, users can reveal the app’s camera as if pulling back on a slingshot. With a satisfying release and a touch of haptic feedback, the photo is sent flying towards friends’ apps as a bouncing bubble.
Key Takeaway
Slingshot is a new app that combines the playful nature of BeReal and Snapchat with a unique and engaging interaction style. Users can “sling” quick photos to their friends, creating a fun and real-time photo sharing experience.
Slingshot’s interaction style offers a fresh and novel experience for users. It provides a dopamine rush similar to pulling to refresh a feed in other apps, but with the added thrill of sending a real-time photo to friends in the hopes of receiving one in return. The app’s simplicity and well-built design make it a delight to use.
From Mindfulness Journaling to Social Apps
The mastermind behind Slingshot, Tommy Searle, initially gained recognition for developing a mindfulness journaling app called Wellnest. However, Searle soon decided to shift his focus to building more consumer-oriented apps. Over the past two and a half years, he and his team have launched five different consumer apps, including sidelin, a Reddit client, and Cutouts, a popular iMessage extension for taking photos and reacting with facial expressions.
Despite the opportunity to raise more funds with Cutouts, Searle opted to continue using the pre-seed funds to explore new avenues of social connection on smartphones. This led to the creation of Slingshot, a simple and well-built consumer social app that aims to connect users in unique ways.
A Playful and Fast Photo Sharing Experience
Setting up Slingshot is a breeze, with a quick onboarding process that requires validating your phone number and granting necessary permissions. The app securely hashes phone numbers to ensure privacy. Once set up, users can easily add friends and start slinging photos to them at any time.
The app’s camera mechanism is refreshingly simple. There’s no need to spend time posing or framing the shot. Users just pull back on the screen and release to instantly snap and send the photo flying. It’s a fast and playful experience that sets Slingshot apart from its competitors.
The Future of Slingshot
Although Slingshot is currently in beta, Searle has big plans for its development. Beyond photo sharing, he is considering incorporating video and text slingshots. He believes that the app’s focus on capturing moments in real-time, rather than at specified times like BeReal, will appeal to high schoolers and college students. Furthermore, Slingshot’s speed surpasses that of Snapchat, making it an attractive option for quick photo sharing.
If Slingshot gains popularity, Searle has plans to monetize the app through paid upgrades. These upgrades could allow users to prioritize their best friends within the app, placing them at the forefront of the carousel, for example.
Currently available as a free download on iOS, an Android version of Slingshot will be considered if the app gains traction in the market.
