Connect Over Books & TV Shows with Phictly’s New App
▼ Summary
– Phictly is a new social app that creates niche communities for discussing specific books, TV shows, and movies.
– The app was founded by Nyleena Aiken to address the challenge of finding focused, interactive groups for shared interests.
– Key features include a 20-member cap per club for intimate discussions and customizable club durations to match users’ reading or viewing paces.
– Phictly includes spoiler-hiding functionality and “Talk Points” for scheduling discussions about specific episodes or chapters.
– The app is free to download with potential future premium features and plans to expand into video game clubs and a user matching system.
Finding your people in the vast world of entertainment just got easier. Phictly is a new social app designed to unite fans of specific books, TV shows, and movies, offering a dedicated space for meaningful conversations without the noise of larger, impersonal platforms. It brings back the excitement of discovering a tight-knit fan community, reminiscent of the early days of social media when connecting over a shared obsession felt special and new.
The inspiration for Phictly came from founder Nyleena Aiken’s personal experience. After starting a book club with her sisters, she encountered the common struggle of selecting titles that appealed to everyone. This frustration sparked the idea for an application where groups could form around a single, specific book or series, ensuring that every member is genuinely invested in the topic. Aiken observed that many existing platforms host enormous groups with very little active discussion. Phictly’s structure is built to counter this, keeping conversations focused and adaptable to modern, busy lifestyles so users can participate on their own time.
A key aspect of the app is its emphasis on intimate interaction. To maintain quality discussions, each club is limited to a maximum of 20 members. This small-group model encourages more personal and engaged conversations. Furthermore, users have control over the club’s pace. Whether you’re a speed-reader or a binge-watcher, you can create or join clubs that last for just a day or two. For those who prefer a more leisurely approach, there are clubs designed to span up to a full month.
One particularly thoughtful feature addresses a universal fan dilemma: spoilers. The app allows users to post spoiler content that is automatically blurred. Other members can then choose to reveal the hidden text only after they have reached that specific point in the story, ensuring no one has their experience ruined. Another tool, called “Talk Points,” lets users schedule check-in dates to discuss particular episodes or chapters, making it simple for everyone to participate in a coordinated conversation.
Similar to platforms like Goodreads, Phictly includes personal tracking functions. Users can log the titles they are currently reading or watching, keep a record of completed media, and set personal goals for their consumption habits.
Looking ahead, Phictly plans to introduce a matching system that will connect users based on shared interests, favorite genres, and common books and TV shows. The platform is also set to expand beyond its current scope, with future updates introducing clubs dedicated to video games. While the app is free to download, a premium subscription tier is being considered. This paid version would unlock additional features, such as the ability to create a private profile for a more personalized experience.
(Source: TechCrunch)
