June 09, 2016

New iOS messaging app rejects instant gratification

Sealed is a time capsule app for sending mystery messages that eventually unlock. It allows users to play with anticipation and make their friends, family, and even themselves wait to see messages. It can be both infuriating and meaningful depending on how it's used.

Sealed is unique for two main reasons. First, it's private social media, primarily for use between individuals, not as a broadcasting tool (like Twitter or Facebook). Second, it rejects the instantaneous nature of most internet tools, in favor of a delayed gratification loop. 

A few examples:
  • Your best friend's birthday is next Thursday, so you send a video that will unlock at 10am that day.
  • You and a group of friends are hiking in the White Mountains. You reach the summit and record a group video, capturing the beauty of the area, and send it a year into the future to unlock in time for the next annual hike.
  • You have a girlfriend who hates surprises. So you send her messages that will unlock on the third Friday of each month. She acts like she doesn't care but secretly thinks it's cute.
Users can send photos, videos, or text messages. They can set a time delay between 1 hour and infinite years into the future. When sending a message, users can choose whether they want the message to disappear after viewing or not. Recipients who do not have the app do need to download Sealed to receive their message. 

Sealed is a free iOS app that will launch on the App Store on June 11, 2016. 

Read more online at www.trysealed.com
Contact Sealed at alex@trysealed.com or 978.394.4143