Lapse Photo App’s Viral Growth Strategy Falters as Downloads Drop 70%
The Rise and Fall of a Viral Sensation
Lapse, the photo-sharing app that skyrocketed to #1 on the App Store through aggressive growth hacking tactics, is now seeing a dramatic decline in downloads. According to data from app intelligence firm Appfigures, daily installs have dropped 70% from their October peak, falling to just 44,738 downloads on November 24th.
Image Credits: Lapse downloads via Appfigures
How Lapse Achieved Viral Growth
The app’s controversial strategy required users to invite friends to gain access—a tactic that:
- Propelled it from #118 to #1 on the U.S. App Store in September
- Generated 210,000 daily downloads at its peak
- Sparked criticism for its “pyramid scheme” approach
VC Sheel Mohnot expressed discomfort with the invite mechanism, calling it “dirty” and comparing it to a pyramid scheme. Many users found the onboarding process annoying, feeling forced to spam their contacts.
The Challenge of Sustaining Growth
Lapse’s trajectory mirrors other photo apps that failed to maintain momentum:
- Dispo: Similar delayed-photo concept
- Poparazzi: 5M downloads post-launch but ultimately shut down
- BeReal: Reported U.S. user decline (though disputes global numbers)
Co-founder Dan Silvertown acknowledges the transition challenges:
“We never expected our recent growth trajectory to continue at its explosive rate… We’re taking on a huge challenge but we’re ahead of where we expected to be 6 months ago.”
Pivoting the Product Experience
Originally launched in 2021 by brothers Dan and Ben Silvertown, Lapse aimed to recreate the point-and-shoot camera experience with delayed photo viewing. The app later pivoted to focus on:
- Photo journaling features
- Curated albums
- Monthly photo dumps (similar to Instagram trends)
While retaining its photo “developing” gimmick, the app struggled to maintain user interest post-viral growth.
The Bigger Picture for Social Photo Apps
The data suggests a troubling pattern for new social photo apps:
- Viral growth through aggressive tactics
- Short-term App Store dominance
- Difficulty maintaining long-term engagement
Even newer apps like ID by Amo—which uses similar invite mechanics—are already showing declining installs post-launch.
Image Credits: ID by Amo downloads via Appfigures
Key Takeaways for App Developers
- Viral growth hacks don’t guarantee long-term success
- User retention is more important than install numbers
- Forced social sharing can backfire
- The photo app market remains highly competitive
As Lapse experiments with non-invite access methods, the industry watches to see if any new social photo app can break the cycle of viral growth followed by rapid decline.
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