The Roost application models message sending using virtual carrier pigeons, where delivery time depends on the distance between users and the flight speed of each specific bird breed.
Concept of Slowing Down Communication
The app's creator, Logan Mendelson, aims to offer a more measured and less instantaneous communication experience that serves as a kind of pause, unlike traditional messengers. He explained this idea to the specialized site TechCrunch.
Mendelson noted that the app experienced significant growth in May after gaining attention from a publication in Threads, which led to an increase in active users from 10 thousand to 100 thousand. Furthermore, the app went viral in Brazil thanks to a post on X on Thursday (07/15).
Message Sending Mechanism
Upon registering in Roost, the user selects four types of birds to create a virtual aviary. These animals (as well as snails and tortoises) are used to deliver messages to contacts within the app, and users can purchase new species.
The arrival time of a message is determined by two key factors: the physical distance between the sender and receiver, and the actual speed of the chosen species. In a test conducted by Tecnoblog, it was found that a message from the state of São Paulo to Amazonas could arrive in approximately three days.
Emphasis on Privacy
By default, Roost, developed using Claude Code, only shows contacts the user's city, but there is an option to share real-time precise location with close friends. The app also includes a Pen Pals feature, which allows exchanging anonymous letters with people of the same age.
To reduce the risk of misuse, the platform limits image sending. In addition to text and GIF files, users can write 'letters' or draw by hand using the 'Caderno' tool.
