This week a new app rose to the top of the charts in the US, nudging BeReal and TikTok down. I initially thought it wouldn't last, but so far this new entrant has been #1 in the US since Tuesday.
That's a lot more days than I'd expect for an app that's only useful to young students in a handful of US states.
So what's Gas? An anonymous communication app targeted at kids who are too shy to talk to others and instead want to hide behind a screen. Yes, that's my slightly negative spin on it, but really, does the world need another communication app? The last few have all ended up shutting down because they turned into a breeding ground for bullying.
It comes from the creator of tbh which was acquired by Facebook and then erased a few months later.
And this app is targeting kids. A bit too crazy for me.
Back to numbers for a moment though - We estimate that by Tuesday, Gas was downloaded by a million people. Keep in mind, the app is only available in the US and only on the App Store, which really limits its reach. Also limiting its reach is that it's only working in a small number of states.
Why only a handful? Why those particular ones? I don't know. But the creator promised it'll expand soon.
What I do find different in Gas that we haven't seen with other similar apps is that Gas seems to have a revenue model and actual revenue. So far, our estimates show those million users have given Gas nearly $100,000 in net revenue, which is what Gas gets to keep after Apple takes its fee.
The revenue comes from an in-app purchase called "god mode" which costs $6.99/week.
I didn't say a "good" revenue model...
An interesting note - Gas isn't technically an app but rather a game. Well, it isn't, but its developer listed it as a game to gain a competitive edge when it comes to ranks. It's an interesting technique but a pretty misguided one if you rely on organic discovery. Which leads me to believe this isn't the result of organic discovery or crazy word of mouth...
It's now been moved to the Social category where it really belongs. Let's see if anything changes.
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