Over the years, camera apps have gained a tremendous amount of popularity, including familiar favorites such as BeReal or Locket. Launched in August, Lapse has also started to make its way up, ranking #1 on the App Store’s chart for the Top Free Photo & Video Apps as of Oct. 10.
The app itself is formatted similarly to a disposable camera combined with social interaction. Each photo is taken on a digital roll with 36 shots each ,and just like a real camera, the photos take from one to three hours to “develop” from the “darkroom” before the final picture is revealed in a film-like filter.
Lapse’s motto is “More Life, Less Likes,” encouraging its user to “stay in the moment.” Since the app is invite only, it emphasizes the idea of focusing on sharing moments with your friends as opposed to worrying about followers who might judge your posts. Moreover, the “social media” component of the app allows users to comment on their friends’ pictures without receiving any likes, relieving the pressure of “likes” that comes with other social media apps.
If Lapse sounds familiar, that may be because in March 2021, Dispo was launched with similar features. However, Dispo was mainly focused on the disposable camera components, rather than the social media aspects. Lapse, on the other hand, takes the camera quality of Dispo, along with the social part of BeReal, and becomes its own phenomenon.
“I love how [Lapse] ‘develop[s]’ photos and adds a filter to them to make them cuter. I also love how you can choose which photos you want to share with others or keep private to yourself,” junior Kimberly Ng added.
The name “Lapse” itself proposes that the photos are taken over a course of time. Unlike camera apps like Snapchat that focus on maintaining your “streaks” with others, Lapse has a more relaxed approach, suggesting that users take pictures that are “photo-worthy” when the moment is right, instead of pushing them to constantly be active on the app.
“I would use it,” junior Brianna Yanez admitted, after hearing about the app. “[I like] how it is only being sent to friends and you don’t need to worry about other people who you [don’t] know viewing the pictures.”
While some students relish over the endless possibilities of Lapse, others are apprehensive.
“It takes too long to get into the app,” junior Samantha Vo shared. “I can’t believe they make you add like 8 friends in order to take photos.”
“The app is confusing. It says it wants its viewers to ‘live in the moment’, but then encourages them to take photos during those moments,” freshman Estella Lim disclosed.
With any new app comes plenty of mixed opinions—even Lapse has flaws, as stated above. In addition to adding previously known friends, the app has a feature that suggests mutual friends based on your current friends. This can lead to unknown accounts requesting to add you, devaluing the app’s regards on safety, according to the parents on Bark App Reviews.
However, considering that the app was built without the virtual worries of likes, followers, or edited posts, overall it has received a huge amount of support. Whether Lapse is the app for you or not, it has proved itself to be an innovative way to communicate with friends.
Photo Courtesy of UNSPLASH.COM
