A new app called Lapse aims to bring a disposable camera to your phone’s screen.
Long before smartphones created good angles and follower numbers became a daily concern, people were just taking pictures, hiding their cameras, and just living life. Once the photos were developed, they experienced the joy of looking at photos that supplemented their memories.
Lapse tries to recreate that thrill, and it seems to be working pretty well.
The app currently tops the Apple App Store’s Top Free Photo and Video Apps chart, pushing out and overtaking App Store favorites like Instagram and YouTube. He already has a 4.8 star rating from around 45,000 users.
Learn about Lapse, an app that aims to bring back your “pre-smartphone photos,” including where to sign up and how it works.
What is Lapse app?
The Lapses website likens the app to a disposable camera. Users have a “roll” of 36 shots each day.
Once the roll is complete, the user must wait 1-3 hours for the image to “develop.”
When you’re done with your photos, you can “swipe right” to journal them or sort them into albums for your friends to see.
How do I use the app?
Previously, this app was invite-only. Currently, anyone can download the app, but everyone must bring a friend.
As of this article’s publication, users must give a download link to five contacts to install the widget on their lock screen.
Following that process, the user can You can start taking photos. A Medium post by the founders says users cannot “review, edit, or curate in the ways other platforms encourage.” The same Medium post confirms that the photos are “developed” within the app through a “film processing engine”, giving Lapse photos their unique look.
Can I post existing photos to the app?
Lapse users cannot upload or share existing photos except when creating a profile.
Is Lapse available on Android?
Lapse is not available on the Google Play Store at this time.
Does Lapse have any followers?
No, Lapse does not use the “follower” format of social media apps. Instead, Lapse connects users from friend to friend and allows them to start group chats.
Once the photo is “developed,” everyone in the group can see what was taken and comment and send reactions in chat.
Brothers Dan and Ben Silvertown co-founded Lapse in 2021, but the latest version was released in June 2023.
In an email statement to TODAY.com, co-founder Dan Silvertown explained why the app leans toward anchoring users in the present moment.
“We designed Lapse to be a camera that encourages you to live in the moment and share memories without stress,” his statement reads. “It’s rapidly growing in popularity due to the fact that young people are craving a platform that focuses on sharing moments with friends, rather than influencers or celebrities. Millions of memories are made on the app every day. It’s being shared and there’s a lot more exciting things coming soon.”
