As millennials, we’ve been programmed to always have our internal satellites probing for the newest modes of social media and communication. Latching onto a new trend or better yet creating one is like hitting the jackpot – that’s why Diffr, a new group chat app, has been the talk of the town this past month.
Diffr launched in late October and is now available for the iPhone and Android. At first glance, Diffr may seem like a messaging app amongst the likes of Group Me or WhatsApp, but its features are more distinct. The app gives the user the option to post anonymously within chat groups, as well as the option to “spoof” a friend. That is, a user can temporarily message using a friend’s name, but only in chat groups that you are a part of. To find if a message is spoofed, a user only needs to swipe right and a question mark appears. If a friend is pretending to be you, other members of the group will be able to find out that it wasn’t you, but will not be able to find out the true “spoofer.” This is intended to make sure that there’s “no nastiness, only fun,” as it says on their website.
“Diffr’s irreverent, in a fun, new kind of way,” says co-founder Mahesh Rajagopalan. “Spoof and anonymity within chat groups is liberatingly fresh.”
Rajagopalan and his co-founders decided to create an app that they wanted to use.
“Existing chat apps fall into two categories: chatting as yourself in chat groups or posting anonymously to the wide world with no visibility on who sees the messages,” says Rajagopalan.
“The former is utilitarian and the latter tends to get nasty. We felt the need for a chat app with a bit of irreverence, but in a nice way and only within chat groups, so you know who reads your messages. We created Diffr with a unique and liberating twist: spoof a friend. Be anonymous. Or be yourself. But only in chat groups you create with your friends so you can have fun.”
Diffr’s first marketing platform is the University of Illinois. Aside from the fact that one of the co-founders is a UIUC graduate, it also has the ideal user base, according to Rajagopalan.
“UIUC is a great place for the launch because of the tech savvy, large and vibrant student body.”
Student feedback has been quite positive so far, according to campus representative MaryEllen McGann. “I think students are really intrigued by Diffr, since this is the first time you can “spoof” or imitate one of your friends to mess with them,” says McGann. “I think it’s perfect for U of I’s sense of humor.”
The UIUC Diffr Team has been marketing the app at a variety of campus centers. They plan to continue throughout the rest of the year with upcoming events. Diffr is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple iTunes Store.