21 Lapse App Stats You Need to Know

What is Lapse app?

The Lapse app is an IOS app that simulates using a disposable camera and getting film developed, meaning that users cannot see their photos right away.¹ According to Lapse’s website,² users must be invited to the app by people who already use the platform, but, in reality, anyone can download and use the app.¹

What is the purpose of the Lapse app?

Lapse app aims to provide an alternative to the pressure to acquire followers that comes with using many social media apps.³ People share their photos with groups of their friends, rather than seeking followers, providing a more intimate and less metrics-driven user experience.

Is Lapse app free?

Lapse is free on the App Store.⁴

How popular is Lapse?

On February 29, 2024, Lapse holds the #29 spot in the Mac App Store’s Photo & Video category.⁴ 

When did Lapse app hit #1 on the App Store?

Lapse had reached the top position in the App Store by October 2023, as an October 1, 2023 Medium post by Lapse states that they are #1 in the App Store.⁵

How many users does Lapse app have?

On October 29, 2023, Lapse had almost 1.2 million users.⁶

Is Lapse app on Android?

Lapse is an IOS App, currently only available in the App Store. Its website warns to avoid fake apps that you may find at other locations.²

Who owns Lapse app?

Ben and Dan Silvertown, who are brothers, created Lapse in 2021.¹ 

What is the difference between Lapse and BeReal?

Lapse and BeReal are different apps, but they have some similarities in that they encourage users to show their authentic selves at a given moment in time using a photo. However, Lapse offers users the ability to take photos at any time, whereas BeReal provides a random, two-minute window each day in which users may take their photo. The focus on the time of day is intentional with BeReal, which aims to show what users are doing at a given moment. Lapse, on the other hand, encourages users to slow down while they wait for their photo to “develop.” 

Is the Lapse app invite only or can anyone join?

According to Lapse’s website, users must be invited to Lapse, by someone they know who is already on Lapse, in what Lapse calls “Friends only Early access.”² However, in reality, anyone can now download and use the app, without being invited.¹

Is Lapse app like Snapchat?

Lapse app is a photo-sharing app like Snapchat,⁷ but with some important differences. Anyone can join Snapchat, whereas historically you have had to be invited to Lapse. Snapchat focuses on instantaneous photo sharing, while you have to wait for your Lapse photos to “develop” before you and your friends can see them.

Lapse app: How long does it take?

Lapse wants to give users the experience of taking photos with a disposable camera and getting them developed. For this reason, after taking a photo, users have to wait one-to-three hours before they can see their photo.⁷

However, you can also send a photo to a friend immediately in a message called an “Instant,” which the recipient can only open once.⁸

When did Lapse app launch?

The Lapse app originally launched in 2021, but relaunched in June 2023. ⁵

How does Lapse compare to other, similar social media apps?

Lapse is frequently compared to another “disposable camera” app, Dispo⁹. It also has a similar objective to BeReal, intending for users to connect with others in an authentic way.

Is Lapse hiring?

Although Lapse does not currently have any job openings posted,¹⁰ it is currently hiring for engineering and other technical roles.¹¹

Does Lapse support ads? 

No, Lapse does not currently support ads. Lapse’s website states, “We don’t run ads or sell your data–unlike other platforms” so it appears that at present Lapse is trying to distinguish itself from some of its competitors by not running ads.²

How does Lapse make money? 

Currently, the Lapse app is funded through investment. Its recent Series A raised $30 million. A 2021 pre-seed round resulted in $1.4 million, and the seed round, also in 2021, raised $11 million of funding.¹¹

As for its longer-term business model, Lapse Co-Founder Dan Silverton has suggested a subscription-based model, having previously noted the possibility of “paid features.”¹²

Who is investing in the Lapse app?

Investors in Lapse’s recent Series A included the venture capital entities Greylock, DST Global Partners, Octopus Ventures, GV (Google Ventures), and Speedinvest.¹¹

One of Greylock’s partners is Jacob Andreou, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Snap, Inc., the makers of Snapchat, and who is now a member of Lapse’s board.¹³ Other notable investors in the Series A included Naveen Gavini, former Chief Product Officer at Pinterest, former Uber Director of Engineering Praveen Murugesan, and Nima Khajehnouri, former Vice President of Engineering at Snap, Inc.¹¹

How has Lapse’s popularity changed over time?

As of February 29, 2024, Lapse is currently ranked #29 in the Photo & Video category on the App Store.⁴ As of November 8, 2023, it held the #1 spot in Photo & Video, so its current rank represents a significant drop in its popularity compared to the fall of 2023.⁴

While Lapse held the number 1 overall spot on the App Store in October 2023,⁵ as of February 2024 it currently does not appear in the top 100 for free apps in the United States.¹⁴ By November 17, 2023, Lapse’s downloads were estimated to have fallen 70% from their highest point in October 2023.¹⁵

How does Lapse compare to Instagram?

As a photo-sharing app, Lapse naturally draws comparisons to Instagram. Lapse aims to differentiate itself from larger platforms like Instagram in a variety of ways, including that it does not support ads and does not allow sharing to a wide, public audience. Instead, users can keep their photos private or share them with friends. This focus on connecting with people you know, rather than strangers or celebrities, is encapsulated in Lapse’s slogan, “Friends, not followers.”²

How is privacy handled on the app?

To use Lapse, the user has to give it access to their camera and photo library. The app also requests access to the user’s contacts, in order to facilitate sharing images, but allowing this access is not required. If provided, these contacts are encrypted.²

Regarding privacy specifically, Lapse’s website states that while users’ profile photo and “selects” are visible to all users, only your friends can see your Journal, photos, albums, and details.² However, it is worth noting, with regard to the privacy of photos, that “selects” refers to photos the user has uploaded to their Journal (rather than just captured using the camera in Lapse) and Lapse has turned into a looping video shown on the user’s profile.¹