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Apps That Send Texts Slower Take Off
Aaaaaaaaaannnnnddd SENT // Illustration by Kate Walker
Some young people are turning to apps that make sending text messages harder and slower.
Why It Hits: The slow-tech movement is taking off with Gen Z as people try to disconnect from their devices and the frictionless ease of doing everything digitally. Slowing down messages doesn’t just take away the instant gratification of modern communication; it also forces people to be extra considerate about what they send — somehow, a text feels more special on a platform like this.
Between The Messages: The carrier pigeon may just be the spirit animal of 2026.
An app called Carrier Pidge lets users “send messages at the speed of pigeon,” per NYT. Users can track their digital pigeon as it delivers a message to wherever the recipient is located — which can take hours or even days.
Hilariously, 0.2% of the digital pigeons will “die” in transit, meaning their message won’t reach the recipient, and users will have to spend 99 cents to purchase a new one.
Another app, Roost, lets users choose from a range of animals — including pigeons, snails, turtles, and penguins — to deliver texts. How long the message takes to send corresponds with the animal.
The app also has a “pen pal” feature that allows users to connect with and send messages to strangers around the world.
Last Note: It’s surprising how much these platforms have blown up in recent weeks, with Carrier Pidge clocking 75,000 users and Roost raking in a whopping 650,000 downloads this month alone. Maybe a 2023 survey by Harris Poll and the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute sheds some light — 80% of Gen Z adults were “worried that their age group relied too heavily on technology.”
Sometimes, people just want to fight back against how easy things can be.
Prediction: Maybe slow texts will be the evolution of the group text — being included in someone’s slow-moving messages could become a badge of honor.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.