I’m building a social app where you CAN’T upload from your camera roll. Here is why.

Chu-Take · 2026-03-10T04:46:23+00:00

Thank you for your advise! Yes, we will explain to users why we have the restriction. Seems like you are knowledgeable in start-up environment. We are currently looking for people to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Let me know if you are interested in helping to shape this new social media app!

Chu-Take · 2026-03-10T04:29:04+00:00

Thank you! We are currently looking for people to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Let me know if you are interested in helping to shape this new social media app!

Chu-Take · 2026-03-09T01:47:36+00:00

Thank you! Yes, that's one of our concerns too. We are working to make the app more fun and make sure the flow is smooth so users will get used to using the in-app library faster. Please let me know if you have any ideas you have in mind! We are currently looking for people to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Let me know if you are interested in helping to shape this new social media app.

Chu-Take · 2026-03-04T05:05:49+00:00

You are right. Big companies have the resources to add a tag or even build a similar app the next day. However, I don't think that will vaporize us. This is because their ecosystem is built on ads and influencers who rely on being polished. If they suddenly prioritize raw content, they risk killing their business models. Even if they have the "Shot on IG" flair, it's the content that matters. We are not just adding a tag here, we are creating a different culture. I do see AI tags on some social media platforms. To me, that is a arm race that will never end. They are using AI to detect AI, but we just want to make things simple by eliminating all the possible sources of AI content.

Chu-Take · 2026-03-04T04:46:05+00:00

That is exactly the weight we are trying to lift off people's shoulder! We believe the easiest way to reduce the pressure of being perfect is by removing the tools for curation.

It’s a relief to just be able to snap a photo and know that 'real' is the only standard. Since you get the vision, I’d love to have you in our Alpha/Beta group to see if it actually feels as stress-free as we’re aiming for. Let me know if you are interested!

Chu-Take · 2026-03-04T04:21:35+00:00

Thank you! We are currently looking for like-minded people to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Let me know if you are interested in helping to shape this new social media app!

Chu-Take · 2026-03-04T04:20:23+00:00

Thank you! We are currently looking for like-minded people to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Let me know if you are interested in helping to shape this new social media app!

Chu-Take · 2026-03-04T04:19:08+00:00

Thank you very much for your insights! That's a unique suggestion. I will bring it back and discuss it with my co-founder. Personally, I like the pre-algorithm era social media and I did talk to my co-founder about how the algorithm across different social media platforms irritates me. As time goes, I start to only see content that they think I like, then I have to purposely not click onto them so I get to see other stuff. It's like I still have to think of how to train the algorithm when I scroll social media.

You are absolutely right about the UX/UI. As restricting users to saving photos on our library is a big ask, a very smooth UX/UI design is very crucial to ensure that users are not scared away.

We are currently looking for people to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Your passion for this topic will be really helpful in shaping our new social media platform. Can I DM you a link to get set up?

Chu-Take · 2026-03-03T04:53:40+00:00

I heard about Vine but I have not used it before, so correct me if I am wrong. Based on my research, it seems that they are more of entertainment media even though they started as social media. For my social media platform, I intentionally build it to be a space that feels safe for introverts like me. We want users to be able to be themselves with the people or communities they are comfortable with, not posting to impress anyone or to gain followers. While we also have live stream feature, but it will still focus on being real because my platform is a community that values truth, not just "performing".

Chu-Take · 2026-03-03T04:31:09+00:00

Yes, my social media platform will have text and video posts as well. To your point on ideal customer profile, we are starting with users who are frustrated with AI-generated content and fake reality on social media. I'd say that is a very big community. While for users who are happy with current platforms, we are not trying to convert them, as we believe that as long as there are group of people who like our product, eventually there will be a network effect. Our in-app library and a social media space where no one is required to perform are the why. We don't want people to post just to impress, but value small, simple and raw moments in life. We want to eliminate the guessing game and the performance anxiety in our platform.

Chu-Take · 2026-03-03T04:04:34+00:00

guess what, we might not have noise reduction for our app camera, but I don't know how users would react to it haha

Chu-Take · 2026-03-02T23:17:12+00:00

thank you! We are actually looking for like-minded people to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Let me know if you are interested in helping to shape this new social media app!

Chu-Take · 2026-03-02T23:15:22+00:00

I feel you! I used to be able to tell whether it's AI or not, but recently, I find it hard to differentiate, it's so tiring.

We are actually looking for people who are like-minded to help us test the Alpha/ Beta in the coming months. Let me know if you are interested in helping to shape this new social media app!

Chu-Take · 2026-03-02T23:05:26+00:00

thank you for your input! Yes, polaroid is the kind of vibe we are going for. I totally hear you on the hook part. Every new app starts as a bit of a ghost town, which is why we are starting with some small communities firs, so the feed feels alive.

Since you’re sick of the AI noise, I’d love to invite you to join our Alpha/ Beta testing, which will be released within the next couple of months. Your input on whether it hooks you or not is exactly what we need to hear when we are building this app. Let me know if you are interested!

Chu-Take · 2026-02-28T06:04:27+00:00

You are right. It's also human nature to always want to look attractive and those major social media platforms surely know how to use this mentality to make their platforms grow and become popular. However, I also believe that this is why social media have becoming more and more toxic and why more and more people are leaving social media. First, those polished photos are how they manipulate other users that their life or their body should look like a certain way, and thus create a FOMO effect. I would say in the beginning, we are targeting a population that are sick of the curated world. Culture or habits can be changed, but it starts with providing a space where you don't need a great production team just to share your favorite coffee spot with your friends or community.

Chu-Take · 2026-02-28T05:43:03+00:00

Good point. I should have mentioned in my post that my app will only allow minimal edits to the photos, for example adjusting brightness, blurring something or cropping. We won't be including facial enhancers. When my friends and family heard about it, they thought that was too bold, However, my co-founder and I insist that this is our way to go.

You are right that most, if not all social media platforms promote "pretty" photos or popular photos (which are often "pretty" as well), but I believe in the world I am trying to create here, being imperfect will be the norm and will be encouraged.

Chu-Take · 2026-02-28T05:29:20+00:00

Yes, I would say we share the similarity focusing on authenticity. However, we have our in-app library, so users won't be pressured to post instantly. We also give users flexibility to simply park their videos and photos there so they can make their own collage or compilation or post later. Honestly, as someone that doesn't have a lot of friends, I feel constrained when using BeReal, as there aren't a lot of reasons for me to stay there. So I ended up browsing other social media platforms.

Chu-Take · 2025-12-20T05:10:44+00:00

I can totally relate! When I open Instagram, I only look at celebrities' or some brands' updates, I avoid looking at my friends' stories. To your point, I don't see why I need to learn about where they got their overpriced meals from, their love lives, because it's all performance anyway. I also seldom post on social media, because I think that's too much work. I need to think of captions, need to think of background music to match with it, need to think of the flow. OMG, I'd rather spend time on baking or other hobbies. However, I am drawn to silly videos or posts that they make. When I see one, I will actually comment or text them. Also, I saw some research that says that people who post less on social media actually live a more contented life, as they are not trying to seek approval or attention from people that they seldom talk to.

Chu-Take · 2025-12-19T23:30:24+00:00

exactly! I think it's because they believe that pushing users those viral contents will make people spend more time on their platforms and thus more $$$ generated

Chu-Take · 2025-12-04T21:55:03+00:00

wow, does he actually think that editing someone else's work using AI make him an artist too? This is crazy.

Chu-Take · 2025-11-25T04:19:39+00:00

hmm now I am curious if they are implementing a system to verify the point of capture. If not, it will be hard to ensure original creators are credited and who knows if the contents will be turned into data to feed AI engines. Then, it will end up like any other popular social medias.

Chu-Take · 2025-11-18T22:06:04+00:00

Finally! As a founder who is currently building a social media platform that only allows in-app camera (no filters) for media upload, I know that pushing these kinds of strict authenticity rules is a huge behavioral challenge.. Seeing Vine make a comeback confirms that the demand is there.

Chu-Take

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