A Selection of Apps That Failed to Impress Consumers

A Selection of Apps That Failed to Impress Consumers

When it comes to app development, it isn’t always easy for software developers specializing in Android and iOS to get it right. In fact, it’s a saturated space, resulting in a huge number of apps coming and going in short spaces of time.

We’ve obviously seen some huge success stories, such as Uber and Tinder, but there are also some undisputed failures that didn’t hit the spot with consumers. For an app to really stand out, it needs to impress like some of the other options mobile users typically rely on. For instance, some gamers can’t resist Candy Crush Saga and Pulsz online slots like Dance Party, while millions of users take pictures on a daily basis for Instagram and use their phone’s torch when the lights go out. Apps need to meet the needs of consumers while also being user-friendly.

With a huge selection of apps struggling to get off the ground and eventually being hammered by the users of them, let’s take a brief look at some of them below. Make no mistake about it, it’s a tough task to bring out an app that really delivers, but these particular creations were probably doomed from the start.

Not Hotdog

Even though it’s pretty obvious what a hotdog is, that didn’t stop the makers of Not Hotdog from pursuing their embarrassingly weak idea. The app literally told users whether a food was a hotdog or not. You could take a picture of the unknown sausage in a bun and let the app tell you what you probably knew already. While it was clearly a lighthearted application apparently created off the back of the success of the popular television show Silicon Valley, it’s still a phone app that was painfully poor.

Watching Cute Girl

An odd app from Japan, Watching Cute Girl was essentially a female companion for lonely people. The app featured a virtual female friend who stared at phone users throughout the day, with the aim being to make them feel loved. While its aim was admirable in some respects, it was more creepy than anything else. In the end, Watching Cute Girl was probably a bit of a joke gone horribly wrong. Simply put, it was just weird.

Auctionata 

An auction app is a good idea in theory, but if it manages to breach trade regulations, then it’s a terrible creation. Auctionata is the perfect example of this, with this 2012 app actually lasting for five years before it was put out of business for a variety of unethical behaviors. All e-commerce apps need to be trusted by the consumers who are parting with their hard-earned cash and that’s something Auctionata clearly didn’t focus on.

Places I’ve Pooped

Somewhat unsurprisingly, not many people were interested in sharing the location of their dumps with the world. That’s exactly what Places I’ve Pooped offered, as users of the app would go to the toilet and drop a virtual pin on their special poo spot.

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As you can probably guess, it didn’t last long.

TapThat

Is anyone for some virtual lovemaking? No, didn’t think so. Still, if you change your mind, then TapThat might be available for download somewhere. If it isn’t, don’t worry. This particular application is another strange inclusion, as players choose virtual characters to sleep with. If you had a friend with the same app, you could even tap your phones together to create some virtual intercourse. An app that didn’t do much else apart from that, TapThat was terrible.

Other apps that failed to impress consumers include Quibi, I Am Rich, Is It Dark Outside?, iAmAMan, and Yik Yak.