A brand new female-founded courting app referred to as After is launching in Austin, Texas, on Thursday with the mission of tackling ghosting and holding individuals accountable.
What units the app other than the remainder of the courting app scene is that After requires customers to share why they’ve unmatched an individual earlier than they’re allowed to maintain swiping. The thought behind the function is to eliminate abrupt disconnections and confusion.
Based in October 2023, After is the brainchild of Katie Dissanayake, who got here up with the thought for the app after spending a decade within the courting app business. Previous to founding After, Dissanayake labored at Hud, the place she fell in love with tech and realized about every part from belief and security to product growth.
With After, Dissanayake needs to handle issues round courting app fatigue, and do one thing completely different from what the main courting apps supply.
“Our standout feature is anti-ghosting, which I think holds people accountable,” Dissanayake instructed TechCrunch. “On the flip side, it gives people closure.”
If two individuals match on After and begin a dialog, however one particular person stops replying, they are going to be nudged to reply. If the particular person nonetheless doesn’t message the opposite consumer, the match expires. Earlier than they will use the app’s options once more, they want to decide on a motive why they let the match expire.
Customers can select from an inventory of causes to elucidate why they determined to cease responding. As an illustration, they will say distance was a problem or that the vibes didn’t match. After will then create a sort message and ship it to the opposite particular person, and remind them that this isn’t a illustration of who they’re or their price.
Plus, if two individuals match however neither of them messages one another, the app will immediate them to speak to one another. If neither particular person sends a message, then After will finish the match. So as an alternative of getting an inbox full of matches such as you would on different courting apps, After is concentrated on solely surfacing matches you’re interacting with.
The app additionally contains courting guides to assist customers have a greater courting expertise. As an illustration, if somebody is having hassle getting matches, After will recommend that they alter their picture or spruce up their profile.
Within the pursuit of transparency, After options “visitor” and “local” badges in order that matches are conscious of whether or not somebody truly lives in Austin or if they’re simply visiting.
After will quickly embody an opt-in psychological well being check-ins the place you’ll be able to replicate in your temper and emotions. And if the app thinks you might have been utilizing it an excessive amount of, it’ll recommend that you just take a break.
After operates on a freemium mannequin, letting free customers get primary entry to the app. The app options “petals,” which is After’s in-app forex that allows you to purchase additional options, comparable to boosts and tremendous likes. Whereas free customers can earn petals by doing issues like filling out their profile, paid subscribers get 500 petals monthly and full entry to limitless chats and likes for $19.99 monthly.
By way of increasing past Austin, the corporate plans to launch the app throughout Texas earlier than providing it in a special state.
“I’m really passionate about growing a little community first before moving on because nothing is worse than opening an app up and then you have, like, one user in each state, and it just doesn’t work for anybody,” Dissanayake stated.
After is obtainable on each iOS and Android.
