Developed by Dan and Ben Silvertown, Lapse was launched in 2021 with the goal of offering a social network experience free from the burden of getting approval from random people. The app’s tagline, “friends, not followers,” invites users to snap pictures more casually and without concern for likes and comments.

In the US Apple App Store, The Lapse rose to prominence on the list of free apps. However, the social network’s expansion plan is predicated on the requirement that new users invite five others to sign up for the app, which has generated discussion and controversy among users.