With over 700,000 downloads on Google Play and the App store, Otgit has become South Korea’s most popular social networking mobile app.

Tech startup UserStoryLab launched Otgit in May 2013. The app uses location-based services to help users  expand friendship bases and build romantic relationships, much like matchmaking service Tinder. Unlike Tinder, however, Otgit offers a profile platform that extends beyond simply “liking” or “nope-ing” users.

(Interesting fact: The term “Otgit” references a longer South Korean idiom describing fleeting acquaintanceships.)

UserStoryLab designed the app to have a sleek and elegant user interface. Users can designate a location and easily search for local Otgit users according to gender, age and proximity. Upon being displayed a list of relevant people, users can view individual profiles, which include birth dates, occupations, hobbies, descriptions, photos, and more.

If a user were to find a person to whom he/she would like to express interest, the user can send a “heart.” Heart recipients are then given the option to ignore or to reciprocate the heart. A time limit is set on the recipient’s response, which prompts action. If two users exchange hearts, they unlock a chat room where they can get to know each other.

In this way, Otgit users are granted a degree of control and transparency in the interactions with others, contrasting with services like TInder, which imposes a double-blind system that prevents users from detecting any interest.

Recently, UserStoryLab updated the app’s software. The update, Otgit 3.0, optimizes user recommendation, enables profile inquiries and allows for more, free-item sharing.

The user recommendation function, in particular, distinguishes Otgit from its competitors, as it personalizes results according to frequented sites. The app enables users to leave “otgits” at specific locations, which exposes them to other users who have also left otgits in the vicinity. The update also allows users to recommend users to each other and request profile information without the chat function.

Otgit is currently unavailable in the United States.

 

Source : Social Networking App, Otgit, Promotes Relationships