Striving to revolutionize your iMessage experience, Nikita Bier, the mastermind behind renowned apps like tbh and Gas, launches a new creation – Explode. This app is designed for sending disappearing messages on iMessage, enhancing the user’s communication privacy.
Explode operates as a dedicated mini app within Apple’s Messages application. It enables users to send images or text messages that vanish after the initial viewing. Moreover, the app restricts users from capturing screenshots. According to Bier, Explode installation is required by the sender only.
Explode comes with a free version. However, for a more comprehensive experience, users can opt for Explode+ membership, which is priced at $39.99 annually or $7.99 monthly. This paid version provides features such as screenshot alerts, screenshot blocking, message replay, and the ability to lock photo viewing after dispatch.
Bier’s perspective on Explode seems to hint at rivalry with Snapchat. Post discussions about Snap’s acquisition of Gas, Snap suspended Gas on the SnapKit developer platform. As reported, Snap interpreted Gas’ URL attachment feature as a violation against replicating Snap’s functionality, which prompted the suspension. However, Bier contradicted this claim, stating that Gas was purely contact-based.
Despite the controversy, Bier reported a growth spike in the app, attributing 23% of Snapchat’s U.S. user base to have viewed a Gas story. He emphasized the prime placement of the feature for sharing a Gas poll with Snapchat and noted Snap’s actions resulted in a operational disruption for seven days.
Currently, Explode is accessible only in select countries including the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, France, Germany, and Italy.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
