Welcome to YOLLO
Mental health nearly killed me, mental asylum stigma erased me, and unemployment broke me.
But that stigma made me build YOLLO - the app that truly connects people in real-time.
Friendships need the now, not the past
Friendships thrive in the present. We meet or call, catch up, dive into random topics, and bounce between plans, jokes, crushes, and gossip. Maybe it's a 3 AM bike ride, a brunch plan, or the latest trending topic - we follow the energy.
If something feels interesting, we keep the conversation going; if not, we move on and return to it when it matters. There is no constant FOMO and nothing gets stuck on a topic forever. Friendships fade when we stop knowing what our friends are up to. Missing a few days of updates brings in awkwardness, overthinking, or silent grudges.
Real friendships happen in the moment, not weeks or months later. Think about it - if a friend asked for school gossip or a restaurant recommendation, you wouldn't tell them about last month's drama or a place that shut down last week. Whether it's a party, breakup, or trend, we want to know what's happening now, not three days later. Because friendships aren't defined by the past - they're shaped by how we show up today.
Broken social networking since the 2000s - how social media got “social” wrong
Since the early 2000s, social media apps promised to bring us closer, but instead they trapped us in outdated feeds full of old posts and irrelevant moments curated by algorithms we cannot control. They remain full of yesterday's news, last week's highlights, and last month's memes.These are the not-so-good old days of the pre-YOLLO era.
At first, these apps entertained us, but over time we found ourselves catching up with weeks-old posts, never truly in sync, and gradually losing real connections, leaving us feeling isolated. Now, they suggest AI friends and mutual connections to “fix” the loneliness they created.
Their only so-called solution is the chronological feed. But how can a post saying “dinner TONIGHT” from three days ago be relevant today? Imagine trying to catch up with friends by going backwards through a strict timeline, saying things like “I left for office at 9 AM, had breakfast at 8 AM, woke up at 7 AM,” just to understand their day. Now imagine someone constantly interrupting you in real life, telling you to stop celebrating your new job after 24 hours or to keep talking about it forever. Absurd, right?Yet that's exactly how social media still works - stuck in outdated formats, replaying irrelevant moments, and forcing deadlines - even 25 years later.
These platforms gave us a way to meet people but never figured out what happens after. These apps gave us a way to meet people but never figured out what comes after. Even after 25 years, they still don't know how to help us move from being acquaintances to becoming real friends or how to sustain those bonds so they don't fall apart. Real friendships don't grow out of algorithms or pre-fixed deadlines. They are messy, spontaneous, and alive in the moment. In real life, no one limits conversations to birthdays or promotions or worries about when a story “expires.” We don't measure connection in 10 seconds, 24 hours, or forever. We talk, we connect, and we move on when we want.
On top of that, these apps tried to justify broken feeds while keeping endless old posts. Something that has lost relevance cannot suddenly become important again, and if it truly does, only you and your friends - not an algorithm - should decide its significance.
NO ALTERNATIVE truly gave you CONTROL over YOUR moments, feed and search. Until now! YOLLO gives you that total control of deciding what is relevant to YOU.
YOLLO Mission
At YOLLO, our mission is to bring back real human connection in a world where social media has made it harder to feel close. We believe that friendships thrive on frequent, casual interactions - the kind that build deeper connections, greater happiness, and stronger bonds. Friends help us navigate life, ease our struggles, and inspire us to grow into our best selves.
Yet in today's world, natural and spontaneous connections are harder to find. Different offices, cities, and countries make those moments disappear, while traditional social media leaves us with loneliness, FOMO, and burnout. We asked ourselves: how do we get that feeling back? And we built YOLLO, for you!
YOLLO makes staying close to friends and family effortless - whether they're across the street or across the planet - by keeping us connected in real time and letting conversations flow for as long as they matter, just like we do in real life.
The spark that started YOLLO
If you've spent time on today's social apps, you know the feeds are a confusing mix of outdated moments which look like:
- 23hr-old story - “JUST boarded a flight”
- 1-week-old post - “Brunch TODAY”
- 3-days-old tweet- “Election results TONIGHT"
- 6-month-old video - “Best restaurants to try THIS WEEK”
- 2-year-old pin - “Go-To looks THIS MONTH”
All you would see are Christmas photos during Super Bowl weekend, Halloween inspo at Christmas dinner, or New Year fireworks while preparing for Valentine's. You're always the last to know what's actually going on with the people you care about. You'd like or comment, only to realize the post was months old—and suddenly feel like a stalker, still clueless about what's actually happening in the moment.
Search is no better - look up an Italian pizza spot in town or an upcoming Taylor Swift concert date and you'll fall into an endless vortex of outdated results from months or even years ago.
It's not the 2000s anymore. It's the 2020s, yet most social apps are still stuck in the past. You deserve something better - an app that actually moves with you. With YOLLO, you're never the last to know!
Old social media apps will never change
The idea of social networking on these platforms has turned into 24-hour deadlines, endless permanent posts that trap people in doom-scrolling, limits on friends, and even paid AI companions. They keep recycling the same ideas and calling them new - without actually helping people connect, turn acquaintances into friends, or sustain bonds over time.
Millennials grew up documenting every moment online - but Gen Z is shifting away from permanent grids and public archives, seeking something different: a space where nothing sticks forever and past posts disappear for total privacy. That's exactly why we built YOLLO - for you.
And it's not just us saying this. People everywhere are talking about these problems. TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and X are full of conversations about broken social networking. The articles on our homepage show this clearly. It's a global pain point — and without a better alternative, people have no choice but to keep using platforms that don't truly serve them.
Conversations in real life
We interact with friends and strangers every day, jumping from trips to proposals, heartbreaks to whatever's trending. We decide what to talk about and for how long. If it is interesting, we keep going, and if not, we move on when we want.
Human connection shapes how we think, the choices we make, and the quality of life we enjoy. We all start as strangers, but through conversations and keeping in touch in daily life, we get to know each other, connect, and bond.
IRL ≠Online
But do we do that on any of these social media apps? The answer is NO. NADA. NYET!
YOLLO - Just like IRL
Share moments that live for a limited time ONLY like a real life ongoing conversation with a friend. Every like, comment, view, or share adds extra 10 secs to the post. The more engagement your post gets, the longer it stays alive and relevant.
Want posts to stay longer?
You and your friends can time-boost posts using YOLLO minutes and make them go viral. And here's the kicker - you can time-boost your OWN posts too and keep them trending longer, without seeking outside validation. No more worrying about deleting a post immediately when it does not get engagement from others. Enjoy the moment as long as YOU want, just like IRL!
Time never wasted on YOLLO
Other apps trap you in endless scrolling through old, outdated posts. YOLLO flips that. Every second you spend here earns YOLLO minutes. Browse, post, or invite friends to earn minutes, then use them to keep posts you like longer and control your feed. Your time actually counts. Bo doom scrolling. No wasted time. No guilt.
Stay close with friends - with one tap (Nudge)
Nudge to check in with friends daily. No more "who texted who first" or "left on delivered" dramas. Say bye-bye to streaks & hello to effortless NUDGE to let friends know you are thinking of them.
Send moments, not texts
Precious moments get lost in endless texts. On YOLLO, share moments with just one friend - or a few on their feed. Turn moments into memories with likes, comments and time-boosts - unlike any inbox. No creepy DMs, no pressure to reply immediately, no awkward unread texts.
Everyone can go viral
All the posts get views without being buried by days, weeks and month old posts recommended by the algorithm from the reserve of unlimited permanent old posts.
Total privacy - past is past
When engagement fades or a post loses relevance, it disappears into your private memories calendar. No trolls commenting on old posts EVER! With YOLLO, nothing sticks forever - no digital footprints, no old posts haunting your present. By focusing on only real-time interactions and giving you control over your content, YOLLO safeguards your privacy in an era where digital footprints are constantly scrutinized.
Stay Close with a NUDGE
Stay close with friends in one effortless NUDGE. No 'who texted first,' 'left on delivered,' or streak pressure - just effortless nudges that just a simple check-in to show your friends that you're thinking of them and make them feel valued. Because everyone loves a little check-in.
Stalk-free & judgment-free zone
No more being judged by months or years-old posts on our profiles. We change every day. So, why let yesterday's moment define who we are today?
On YOLLO, no creeps digging through tons of old posts from your past to stalk you either.
Trolls talk, you trend
Delete hateful comments, but keep the time they add to your post. The madder they get, the longer your post trends. Blocking and reporting is fine, but turning trolls into fans is way more fun!
Your mental health, YOLLO's priority
You catch yourself feeling jealous, comparing your life to everyone's perfect lives posted online. It lingers permanently and messes with your head. YOLLO breaks that cycle. YOLLO brings you back to the present, helping you let go, move on at your own terms & start afresh EVERY DAY.
Find your people
Whether you're new to town, starting college, moving through a life shift, or just want to meet people who get you, YOLLO is built to make finding your people easier and safer.
Now means now on YOLLO
See X-mas posts on X-mas. Black Friday sale coupons, actually on Black Friday. Exactly when they matter!
Stay connected, no matter the distance
With YOLLO, your phone will feel like it's bringing you closer to your friends. Thanks for having YOLLO with you to stay in touch with friends and family, no matter the distance. Whether it's across the street or across the planet, you're staying connected - and that's all that matters.
What did Gen-Z want from social apps?
A space to be spontaneous, weird, honest, and truly themselves. A place to feel seen, supported, and free from pressure of constant judgment.
They never asked for a permanent archive of their lives - just to capture a moment, enjoy it, and move on. In a world of endless surveillance, maybe they were right. YOLLO gets it. Do you?
What did Gen-Z get?
They got privacy nightmares, bullying, trolling, loneliness, anxiety, and wasted time. Instead of real updates from friends, they got copycat apps, dead platforms trying to revive, and endless suggested content. They also got AI slop, fake AI friends, and empty promises that claimed to connect but always did the opposite.
Why We Are?
YOLLO was created by two GWU students who have lived through suicide attempts, clinical depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, body shaming, loneliness, bullying, unemployment, and financial hardships. When they got the opportunity, they traveled the world, made friends, shared stories, and learned through the messy, human journey of self-discovery. Through it all, they realized that social networking is never just a tech problem - it is an emotional one.
Why YOLLO?
YOLLO was born because the people who build most social apps have never lived the reality we face every day. They design from glass towers, detached from the loneliness, burnout, financial struggles, jealousy, heartbreak, and chaos that shape real life. They've never experienced crying over a DM at 2 AM, feeling invisible online, or juggling connection with exhaustion. Yet they decide how we talk, who we see, and how we show up.
We are different. YOLLO is built by people who've been there - students, friends, just common people like you - who know what it feels like to be lonely while surrounded by people, to want to connect but feel unseen, and to navigate the emotional ups and downs of real life. We understand what it's like to ghost friends we care about, feel jealous, exhausted, or left out, and still want to show up. One early sign we're on the right track is that YOLLO is alive with authentic conversations and real-life moments you won't find anywhere else.
YOLLO is a social media made by common people like you, for people like us - not by someone detached from real struggles and emotions of day-to-day life.