Lapse, the photo-sharing app that strategically surged to the top of the App Store earlier this year
Lapse, In a turn of events for , signs of a growth slowdown are becoming evident. Initially, the app gained prominence by compelling users to invite friends for access—a method mirrored by the newcomer ID by Amo. While this viral tactic propelled Lapse to No. 1 on the U.S. App Store in September, recent data from app intelligence firm Appfigures reveals a significant decline in downloads, plummeting by as much as 70% from its peak in October.
Growth hacks, as Lapse experienced, can catapult an app to short-term success. However, sustaining this success demands more than just a clever onboarding strategy, as the recent report indicates. The drop in downloads underscores the necessity for an app to retain users over the long haul.
Launched in 2021 with the vision of emulating a point-and-shoot camera experience, Lapse initially introduced a delay in viewing photos. However, user behavior steered the app towards a pivot. Recognizing that users were embracing Lapse as a photo journal, the app reoriented itself. The updated version maintained the random photo development gimmick but refocused on curating photos into albums and facilitating user profiles with monthly photo dumps—akin to trends observed on larger platforms like Instagram.
Lapse’s growth was fueled by TikTok ads and an invite mechanism that sparked controversy. Some users expressed discomfort with the invite scheme, deeming it akin to a “pyramid scheme.” Despite the backlash, Lapse secured its top ranks for a period. Appfigures highlights that Lapse initiated September with 8,000 daily downloads on average, surging to an impressive 210,000 by month-end. October witnessed a peak of 218,000 daily downloads. However, this momentum couldn’t be sustained.
While Lapse is still attracting new installs, recent data reveals a decline to 63,000 downloads per day last week—a staggering 70% drop from its October peak. By November 24th, daily downloads had dwindled to 44,738.
This trend echoes similar experiences seen with apps like Dispo and Poparazzi, the latter having shut down after struggling to gain traction. BeReal, another photo app, faces declining monthly users in the U.S., according to Similarweb.
In the competitive social photo app space, newcomers find it challenging to maintain momentum, irrespective of their initial climb up the App Store charts. Even ID by Amo, a promising app combining collage-making and social networking, appears to be experiencing a decline post-launch.
In response to Appfigures’ data, Lapse co-founder Dan Silvertown acknowledged the anticipated slowdown. He stated, “We always knew we would need to transition to a new phase of growth.” Silvertown emphasized ongoing experiments to allow users to join without inviting friends, acknowledging the short-term impact on download numbers and App Store ranking. Despite the challenges, he remains committed to users and product development.
