Where Are They Now? The Apps We Used To Love

There’s a popular notion about the Internet that it only wants one of everything—and this seems true in most cases. The hype surrounding new apps seems to wane quicker and quicker, with viral downloads becoming forgotten in just a short time.

Despite the quick turnaround, a handful of apps should be recognized for having paved the way for similar but improved programs. Simply put, these platforms walked so others could run.

Hipstamatic

From the App Store

Hipstamatic touts itself as “the original retro photography app,” eventually inspiring Instagram and other apps to utilize vintage filters. While its popularity has waned, it has found ways to stick around, including introducing a community feature where users can share their analog-style digital photos. If you’re captivated by film photography and are looking for a like-minded community, download Hipstamatic on the App Store. 

Vine 

Long before Reels and Stories, there was Vine—a short-form video platform where users could post six-second videos that endlessly looped until they scrolled up. 

X (formerly Twitter) acquired Vine before it formally launched in 2012. Sadly, the service was shut down five short years later. The platform paved the way for several video apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok—with its legacy definitely lasting longer than just six seconds.

Foursquare

Courtesy of Wikimedia

While branded as an app for making recommendations, most people utilized Foursquare to “check-in” at different places. Foursquare made real-time location sharing widely popular among its users, and most social media apps eventually incorporated it onto their platforms.

Foursquare was eventually rebranded as “Swarm,” separating the search and discovery aspect from the app’s social networking function. Swarm became a log of sorts where users could note their activities and the places they’ve visited. However, many existing users were unhappy with the change, not wanting to download two separate apps when one already worked. 

The company behind the original Foursquare app is still operational today but with a specific target of leveraging geolocations for businesses.

Bondee

Screenshot by the author

While not necessarily “old,” Bondee was a good example of a social network that trended and quickly fizzled out.  

Bondee, once dubbed “the next Facebook,” quickly gained popularity in January 2023–it was downloaded over two million times within the first two weeks of its launch. For the uninitiated, think of it as a simpler, less activity-filled version of The Sims. You can create a version of yourself and your “home” and customize them however you want. You can also visit your friends’ rooms, leave notes, or send them messages within the app. 

However, the app quickly lost steam. After the initial excitement of dressing up your avatar, designing your room, and exchanging messages with friends…there just wasn’t much to do. 

Bondee is still available on Google Play and the App Store. 

While some of these apps are treasured for inspiring improved features and functionality for newer apps, some just weren’t good enough to last. But that’s just how fast-paced the online world is. Onto the next!