A new social media app is dominating Apple App Store charts, yet no one seems to know much about it. According to ZD Net, the app Lapse has been increasing in popularity rapidly, yet it’s supposed to be an exclusive app. So what exactly is Lapse?

The creators of Lapse explain that it is a disposable camera app, one that is invite-only. However, this invite-only feature is what causes Lapse to gain popularity so quickly, forcing users to invite at least five friends before they are able to use the app themselves.

“I downloaded Lapse just because I was confused by the invites and I wanted to know more about the app,” says Anagha Harer, a user of Lapse.

Once users finished inviting people, they were then introduced to the app and showed its features, such as the disposable camera which takes an unknown time for photos to develop, or the journal option, which shows friends all the pictures users have shared.

“My favorite feature on Lapse is how personalized the app is, and how you can add emojis or music to your main page to really tailor your aesthetic,” says Harer, talking about the app’s profile page.

According to Lapse, the app combines a disposable camera with social media, allowing for two main aspects of the app. However, using the app centers mainly around the disposable camera.

“I probably wouldn’t use Lapse without all the filters and disposable camera because that is all the cool stuff,” says Ira Jadhav, a freshman at Briar Woods and a user of Lapse.

The disposable camera and the film-filter it puts over pictures instantly became a fan-favorite, and spread Lapse even more. The sharing feature was just an added bonus compared to the camera. 

“I think that Lapse has no harm and the benefit would be get disposable type pictures,” says Nimagni Mummaneni, a sophomore at Briar Woods, and not a user of Lapse.

Even people who do not have Lapse were aware of the disposable style of camera, showing how knowledge of this app spread. Combining this spread and the app’s unique features, it is no surprise it quickly made its way to the top of Apple store charts.

“I like Lapse because it’s fun and aesthetic,” says Ira Jadhav, summing up how most users feel about the app.