A private social networking application, Locket, is experiencing increased popularity among Gen Alpha following the introduction of its latest feature, known as Rollcall.

Locket originally became widely recognized in early 2022 for allowing friends to share photos that appear directly in home screen widgets.

Instead of relying on traditional push notifications, the app updates its widget to display newly uploaded photos from friends, encouraging users to return to the app and share their own moments in response.

According to founder and CEO Matt Moss, the Rollcall feature builds on this same concept by transforming Apple’s platform features into creative social interaction tools.

Moss, a former Apple Worldwide Developers Conference scholarship recipient, noted that fresh design approaches often appeal strongly to young users.

Rollcall encourages users to post their favorite pictures from the past week and utilizes an iOS function called Live Activities. This feature enables apps to display ongoing updates on the lock screen and the Dynamic Island.

While Live Activities was initially designed for real-time updates—such as tracking deliveries or ride arrival times—many developers have explored new and unique uses for it.

In Locket’s case, it functions as a modern replacement for the traditional push notification system.

“Every Sunday, your Lock Screen becomes the space where Rollcall appears. It’s similar to the widget feature because it uses Apple’s technology to put shared moments right in front of people,” Moss explained during the recent TechCrunch Disrupt conference.

The results have been significant. Data from Appfigures estimates that Locket has surpassed 91 million lifetime downloads across iOS and Android platforms.

Within just the first week of Rollcall’s launch, the feature generated over one million shared posts. More than 25% of the app’s active users now participate in Rollcall weekly.

Notably, around 80% of early Rollcall users fall within the Gen Alpha demographic. Moss highlighted that this younger group tends to use Locket as one of their primary ways of staying connected with friends, unlike Gen Z, who often view it as a companion platform.

With Rollcall’s success, the company is exploring additional content formats beyond photos. Moss hinted at future updates that may include short videos, music, location-based memories and weekly reflection prompts.

However, Locket currently has no plans to introduce AI-generated media. Instead, the team is considering how AI tools might help users arrange collages or organize photo memories.

Moss emphasized that despite the rise of advanced AI entertainment apps, there remains a strong desire for authentic personal communication.

“There’s something fundamental about connecting with real people. That need isn’t going away,” he said.

Locket is also examining ways to encourage more meaningful offline communication—such as prompting users to reach out or check in on friends more frequently.

The app generates revenue through subscription services and has been profitable since last year.

Locket’s team currently consists of 15 employees, with continued development focused on deepening real-life connections through simple, personal sharing experiences.

Source: Techcrunch