Heyo! Makes It Easy for New Transplants to Make Friends Nearby
Emma Hoffman — May 17, 2017 — Tech
References: itunes.apple & heyoconnect
Meet like-minded friends nearby with 'Heyo!' Heyo is like Tinder for friendship, but you’re matched by your interests rather than your photos. It’s designed for expats, travelers, international students and anyone settling into a new city. It isn’t about how you look, it’s about who you are.
Heyo prides itself on being obsessed with authentic human connections; real friendships, deeper interactions and interesting conversations. When profile pictures are included, users end up filtering primarily by appearance and many chances for great new friendships are missed entirely. It has no interest in being another hot-or-not swiping app in an already crowded landscape. By removing profile pictures, the focus shifts from your appearance to your personality, interests, beliefs and values.
Specifically designed with expats, international students and travelers in mind, Heyo wants to help people overcome any feelings of loneliness that might be felt when settling into a new city.
Users create their profile by selecting their top four interests and then start swiping! Only after you match with another user you'll see their profile photo and are prompted to choose from four thought-provoking questions to get the ball rolling. The conversation starter feature makes conversations more engaging and faster to uncover common values and interests. A randomized list of questions is always available within the chat screen to help users keep conversation flowing. Currently the app is in public beta on iOS and is available as a free download.
Heyo prides itself on being obsessed with authentic human connections; real friendships, deeper interactions and interesting conversations. When profile pictures are included, users end up filtering primarily by appearance and many chances for great new friendships are missed entirely. It has no interest in being another hot-or-not swiping app in an already crowded landscape. By removing profile pictures, the focus shifts from your appearance to your personality, interests, beliefs and values.
Specifically designed with expats, international students and travelers in mind, Heyo wants to help people overcome any feelings of loneliness that might be felt when settling into a new city.
Users create their profile by selecting their top four interests and then start swiping! Only after you match with another user you'll see their profile photo and are prompted to choose from four thought-provoking questions to get the ball rolling. The conversation starter feature makes conversations more engaging and faster to uncover common values and interests. A randomized list of questions is always available within the chat screen to help users keep conversation flowing. Currently the app is in public beta on iOS and is available as a free download.
Trend Themes
1. Interest-based Friend-finding - Interest-based instead of appearance-based friend-finding apps have the opportunity to disrupt the current swiping app landscape.
2. Conversation-starter Feature - Apps that incorporate a conversation-starter feature can help users engage in more meaningful conversations resulting in deeper, authentic human connections.
3. Loneliness-combatting Apps - Apps designed to help combat loneliness for expats, travelers, and international students have the potential to disrupt the current friend-finding app market.
Industry Implications
1. Social Networking - The social networking industry can benefit by incorporating interest-based friend-finding apps that prioritize authentic human connections over appearance.
2. Travel - The travel industry can use apps like Heyo to enhance the experience of travelers by helping them build meaningful connections with like-minded individuals.
3. Online Dating - The online dating industry could incorporate conversation-starter features in their apps to create more engaging interactions between potential matches.
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