Joanne Rhee
Staff Writer
What do you get when you mix Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Messenger and Tumblr? If your answer isn’t “Peach,” then you probably don’t know about the newest social media app.
You guessed it — the app is called Peach. The combination social media and messaging app was started by Dom Hofmann, co-founder of the Vine app. It launched in early January and quickly caught the attention of many people.
Its descriptions says, “On Peach, a little says a lot. Easily share pictures, looping photos, videos, along with GIFs, the weather, your current location, what you’re watching tonight, how many steps you walked today and much more.”
What sets Peach apart from other social media apps is their “Magic Words.” Some words “give you quick access to fun and insightful things to share.” Essentially, different words are commands for different actions.
Typing “gif” will prompt a search bar and allow users to search for various animated images to post. “Draw” lets users share a doodle or sketch, and “weather” gives users the option of sharing the current weather conditions. There’s even an option to share what movie you’re watching (“movie”) and to add a rating (“rate”).
Its aesthetic and design is also different from other apps; there isn’t really a signature color, like Facebook and Twitter’s unique shades of blue or Snapchat’s eye-catching yellow.
Although the premise sounds simple, the app peaked at No. 85 on the U.S. iPhone downloads chart. At one one point, it was in the top 10 social networking app list.
Like other social media apps, Peach allows users to follow others within the app. Instead of a central news feed, it features a list of friends you follow and their latest updates. Tapping on a friend will allow you to see their activity in more detail.
Users can also interact with other users through different actions and activities. They can “wave” to other users, “boop” them or send them a virtual cake. Users can also “like” and comment on other user’s posts.
However, a few days after its peak and launch, many have quickly pointed out the decline in downloads and lack of usage. Some reviewers even went so far as to claim Peach “dead” a few weeks after its launch. Some attributed its decline to its confusing design and lack of a central feed, while others noted its similarity to other existing apps and just didn’t see it contributing in any new way.
Either way, a handful of people believe that Peach gained its popularity through hype and marketing. Peach was the subject of many blog posts and articles, which led to the massive amount of downloads when it was launched. The number of downloads declined just as quickly, leading many to believe the app was mostly hype.
So far, the app is only available on IOS. Android users can expect to see the app in the near future.
Is this app just a phase that will be soon be forgotten, or will it catch on?