Glimpse Dating App
A new way to find love through your Instagram account
Instagram accounts often reflect an idealized form of users’ lives. That isn’t to say they are misleading or limited, but rather, a unique insight into desires, wishes and what each individual finds interesting and beautiful. New iOS dating app Glimpse thinks that this narrative, one that Instagram users have built about their own lives, can help them find love without the linguistic stumbling blocks of detailed surveys. A picture speaks a thousand words, after all. Simple to set up, easy to explore and filled with beautiful imagery (neither nudes nor selfies), Glimpse makes it possible to find another person whose entire visual life you are interested in, not just their face.
Founder Elan Miller was struck by inspiration when scrolling through his feed. “I designed Glimpse to solve my own problem,” he explains. “I did the whole online dating thing for a few years, but never got that into it. My profile felt over-engineered and inauthentic. Dating sites just felt awkward.” Miller saw his Instagram as a better representation of who he was—conveying more than just imagery, but a story of identity.
“With Glimpse, we want to help people build a window into their world. It’s a visual first impression,” he continues. “We’ve designed an environment that allows people to form more natural connections by sharing perspective.” He notes the dual importance of the photos: not only does it demonstrate a person’s interests, it also gives people something to start chatting about. He actually plans to gage Glimpse’s success not on how many likes the app drives, but on how many people start conversing.
The system is very straightforward: login with Instagram, create a username, select your age, gender and sexual orientation. The app then allows you to select nine of your favorite Instagram photos, from your personal feed. All of this combines to form a user profile. From then on, you just need to swipe side to side to explore. A smiley face button allows you to alert others of interest and if a connection is made, you have access to a private message box. The app has a friendly interface and allows you to zoom in on images you like. Instagram users are already sharing their ideal vision with the outside world. It makes perfect sense that an app would seek to bring two compatible users together.
Download the Glimpse app for free through the iTunes store, and use our exclusive invite code for the next 24 hours, coolhunting, to skip the wait list and receive immediate access.
Screenshots from the Glimpse app
