RTRO, a social networking startup, is releasing its app this week with the intention of building a simple, user-friendly and genuine platform that makes people feel good when they use it. For this purpose, RTRO splits its social experience into two sections. On one side, you can stay in touch with friends and family via RTRO’s “circles.” Users can switch to viewing content from businesses and producers in their own space on the opposite side.
Additionally, RTRO states that it provides ChatGPT interaction and strong content moderation features that focus on keeping the app free from bullying and toxic content.
How is RTRO different?
The company, which was founded by two industry professionals in IT and marketing, wants to take users back to a simpler era when social networks were primarily involved in sharing authentic content and building relationships with other people. The software is called “RTRO,” which is a typo of the word “retro,” and it reflects this longing for older times.
The volume of brand adverts appearing in users’ feeds and the algorithm-driven experience were people’s top complaints about today’s social media platforms, according to a survey of Gen Z and millennial users. However, users also stated that they wanted to use social media to view entertaining content and keep in touch with loved ones.
According to the founders of RTRO, brands have also voiced their own worries about modern social media. They discovered that businesses frequently struggled with integrating social media into their campaigns and frequently felt frustrated. Some of the most important problems with these platforms were cited as their ever-changing rules and algorithms.
A retro solution to a modern problem
The potential solution is RTRO, a social app where you can switch between brand and creative content and your personal contacts because they each have their own places. Brands don’t interfere with the personal part of the experience, but they do have a way to remain involved. RTRO asks users to publish a few times per week, promoting uploads of GIFs, affirmations, or updates about what you’re doing in real life (hashtagged with #LogOntoLife). Brands may choose to sponsor these prompts.
On the other side of the app, known as RTRO TV, companies and creators may interact with their audience in a chat-style setting without the use of algorithms. RTRO has 50 or so Instagram and TikTok creators producing content on the app as of launch. Users can respond to their postings by thumbing them up, but they cannot message or leave comments. Users can interact with RTRO TV by browsing through the many “channels” that are devoted to subjects like travel, food, beauty, and other topics. According to the corporation, this gives customers more control over the type of material they view in their feeds.
Additionally, creators have the option to set up a private circle within their channel space and post there. They can turn the circle off when they’re done. Additionally, users who are being hateful or toxic can be removed by the creators or blocked from messaging in the circle.
Users can also communicate with ChatGPT through an integration that enables them to solicit ideas and inspiration from the AI.
The RTRO app is available only on iOS at the moment and can be downloaded for free from the App Store.
