A new iOS chat application called Carrier Pidge is intentionally slowing down digital communication by using simulated homing pigeons to deliver messages based on the actual physical distance between users.
In an era where messaging platforms compete on instant delivery speed, developer Noah Iarrobino took the opposite approach. Every message sent through Carrier Pidge is carried by a digital bird that travels at a realistic speed, meaning recipients on the other side of the world face significant wait times.
The application uses GPS coordinates to calculate the exact distance between the sender and receiver. The virtual pigeons fly at a base speed of approximately 110 miles per hour (177 kilometres per hour), dictating how long a message takes to land in an inbox.
For nearby contacts, delivery is relatively fast, but long-distance exchanges require considerable patience. According to Iarrobino, sending a single message from Los Angeles to New York takes around 22 hours to arrive.
Adding a comedic twist, waiting hours for a message does not guarantee its arrival. Each digital pigeon carries a 0.2% chance of getting lost and dying en route, which permanently deletes the attached message. Furthermore, a bird's speed can randomly fluctuate by up to 25%, making delivery times unpredictable.
Users can expand their flock through in-app purchases starting at $0.88 (about 29 baht) per bird. However, messaging existing friends does not require additional purchases.
Carrier Pidge is currently available as a free download exclusively on the Apple App Store for iOS devices, with no current timeline announced for an Android release.
Source: yahootech, App Store for iPhone, Dexerto, Platform X
