We’ve all been there. Our old friends from school moved all over the world, and we get to see them once every year or two. When we do get to see them it’s just like old times, and we wonder why we haven’t been hanging out the whole time. It’s not that we don’t enjoy their company—we just forget. Out of sight, out of mind.
Social media just doesn’t cut it. Posting about random happenings just to let an algorithm push it down, down, down into the void is not a valid way to connect with our friends and family. Maybe at one point we thought it was, but lately it just doesn’t hold a candle compared to a simple call or text. Just think of it—would you rather get a funny text out of the blue from a grade school buddy or see a post about their coffee during a work break? They’re just not the same.
The idea behind FriendKeeper is simple: by staying in touch with people more regularly we maintain closer connections with those we care about. It can be especially valuable when we’re all distributed across the globe and working from home.
What does FriendKeeper do?
Not that much, really! Just notifications on a schedule you choose, with gentle reminders to reach out to people you haven’t talked to in a while.
What doesn’t FriendKeeper do?
It doesn’t actually provide a way for you to stay in touch. In a world that’s over saturated with ways to reach people we don’t think we need to be another one. Pick the way that makes sense to you. Got a teen cousin? Use tik tok. Got a housebound grandparent? Write them a letter. It’s up to you to pick the form that will create the best connection.
It doesn’t guilt you. If the schedule you set doesn’t work for you, you can skip reaching out. No sweat! You can also change the schedule any time to be something that works.
It doesn’t track/sell/exploit you for your data. While we do gather some basic, anonymized data, it’s only for the purpose of making sure the app is working as intended. The point is to help you out, and we hate the data-brokering industry as much as you do—heck, probably even more than you do.
How can I help FriendKeeper succeed?
Good question! FriendKeeper is not intended to be a money-maker, but it does cost some money to provide. Hours of development aside, there are fees and servers to maintain, and that cost is recurring. We see success as a ratio of two things: how much it helps improve people’s lives and how much money it costs us. As such, you can help in two ways:
Share the app with others, so they can have a chance at letting it improve their lives. Conveniently, this option is free! 🙂
Contribute to the project by supporting us on Patreon. No pressure by any means. This is only if you choose you feel like supporting!