Why People are Uninstalling Bondee Despite its Popularity

Despite the growing hype of the viral social media app Bondee, many people are uninstalling it. In this article, we look into why and what happened.

A new virtual avatar social media app is taking the globe by storm: Bondee. Created by a Singapore-based tech startup Metadream, this social networking app trended on Twitter—attracting millions of users with its new-gen concept of social networking.

In fact, despite being launched this January 17, Bondee topped app store charts in multiple countries with over 5 million downloads on Google Play alone! According to Techcrunch, this beats Instagram’s record, as it only garnered 1 million downloads after two months. 

What’s its appeal though? For one thing, Bondee offers customization features that allow users to create their own avatars and design their rooms. And true to its nature of being a social networking app, they can also use said avatars to update their statuses, message friends, and even post pictures!

Promising, yes, but amid the hype, people are already uninstalling Bondee due to some controversies, just a few weeks after its release. Here’s an in-depth look at what happened.

Next-Gen Bonding

Just like The Sims—a life-simulation video game first released in 2000—Bondee lets users create their own avatars by choosing their own face shape, eyes, hair color, and even their own OOTDs (outfit-of-the-day). What’s more, they can decorate their own digital home. Two blank walls and a floor are provided to the users, which they can personalize with their choice of wallpaper, flooring, furniture, and accessories.

As for the social media aspect of the app, users can connect with their friends in a virtual plaza and communicate through Bondee’s in-app chat. What’s more, avatars can directly interact with whom they are chatting. Yes, there are activities within the conversation. The avatars can have a picnic or drink, study or work, or even play games.

Users can also update their statuses, but this time with a quirky twist. For instance, if users want their status to say that they’re working, their avatar will be on a desk while on a coffee-induced IV drip. That’s a new take on “caffeine-induced” days!

With all of these fun activities, the app spread like wildfire. In fact, on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook, Bondee fans share their QR codes—inviting other people to join the bandwagon or be their friend. Brands even jumped in on the hype and leveraged it for moment marketing with fast food chains, a ride-hailing app, and even an electric company in the Philippines creating their own Bondee world. 

#DeleteBondee?

As of writing, Bondee still ranks number one on App Store and already has over 5 million downloads. But even so, some people on Twitter have begun uninstalling the app and have shared their sentiments online, too.

Take for example these Twitter users, who uninstalled the app because it has “gotten boring.” 

A Twitter user expressing their intention to delete Bondee.
A Twitter user expressed their boredom with the app, hence their decision to delete Bondee.

But boredom aside, some users were turned off by the news that Bondee was planning to sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in their app. Twitter user, Burnhan, was able to catch the early version of the app’s privacy policy, stating that users can create a blockchain-based wallet in the app. What’s more, users can also buy B-beans—the in-app currency—through fiat currency, which can be used to buy NFTs. 

Bunhan also theorizes that these NFTs can be used in-app as the avatars’ clothes and other decorations in Bondee digital homes.

The early version of Bondee’s privacy policy talks more about in-app blockchain wallets and NFTs.

As of January 29, however, Bondee’s privacy policy was already updated and the aforementioned clause was already deleted. 

Bondee was not the first to utilize this strategy. Neither was it the first project to integrate NFTs. However, it’s one of the first to collect and grow a user base in phase one, then introduce NFTs and Metaverse in the second phase of the project. 

With these developments, users were wary of the app developers for not being upfront with its Metaverse integration. And given the mixed reception of its current user base and the trending #DeleteBondee hashtag on Twitter, Metadream must have been prompted to delete any traces of NFT or any Metaverse buzzwords in their privacy policy.

Despite the changes in Bondee’s privacy policy, there is no certainty whether Metadream will still push through with its plans to launch NFTs and blockchain technology in the app. Likewise, the software company will need to work on wooing its former users.

But so far, a good number of people are still enjoying Bondee’s fun activities and using the opportunity to connect and create digital worlds with their friends.