Roll - The disposable camera for your phone
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Roll is a mobile camera app that works like a disposable: you get 12 shots per roll, and when you’re done you choose when your photos “develop" from a couple of weeks up to a year—so opening them feels like a surprise again.
Replies
UXPin Merge
Really love this concept. Turning photos back into something you wait for instead of instantly reviewing feels surprisingly powerful. Have you seen people change how often they take photos because of the limit?
Roll
@uxpinjack
Yeah, the waiting part changes everything. It makes taking a photo feel a bit more intentional again, like you don’t want to waste a shot. People tend to slow down, take fewer photos, but better ones.
What’s interesting is it also pulls them out of that loop of checking right after. You take it and move on. Then later, when the photos come back, it actually feels like something.
Still early, but that shift from quantity to intention is definitely starting to show.
Love how this leans into the constraint instead of fighting it. The "limited shots" friction is the whole reason disposables felt magical in the first place, you actually thought about each frame. Curious though, do people wait to "develop" the roll or does it break the spell when they peek early? And is there any social layer where friends see each other's rolls when they drop?
Roll
@keith_hiyamojo
Love that question. Right now the idea is pretty strict about preserving the magic, no peeking, no early “develop,” you only get the photos back later, randomly.
On the social side, not live yet, but definitely interesting. Feels less like a feed and more like “drops” from people you care about, where a roll just shows up and you relive it together. Trying to keep it intentional though, not another infinite scroll.
@claude_piche The drops idea is the most interesting part for me. A feed would kill it immediately because then you're just Instagram with fewer photos. But a roll landing from someone you care about, unannounced, that you sit and look through together, that's a completely different emotional experience (i guess!). The constraint on the camera is smart but the constraint on the social side is really cool. How are you thinking about the timing of a drop, does the other person choose when to share it or does it just land when the roll is full?
Very cool! Can I schedule delayed sending of these photos to my own email?
Roll
@natalia_iankovych
You will get an email + notification when your photos are ready to see! That said, the photos are not stored to the cloud but on your own device. (safety + security decision).
We don't store your photos to the cloud.
Roll
Reminder, if you've played with the app today, would love to get your feedback via this form! Thanks so much!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehEIMAmh51PyhdyYTpVK3-0CV0fr1osEtMkpNJ2W6LHY7W2A/viewform?usp=header
This is awesome, I had an idea like this a few years back, but could never figure out the one filter "fits all scenarios" implementation. I think it's cool that you didn't try to turn it into an entire social media app. It's nice to just have a tool that serves its one purpose. Love how minimal the UI is as well, great work!
Roll
@patrickcasella
Love that. Yeah, I went down that rabbit hole too… trying to make something that “works for everything” and it just kills the magic.
At some point I realized the constraint is the product. The limitation is what makes it feel different, and honestly more fun to use.
Really appreciate this, means a lot 🙏
I participated with my son in a 7 photos 7 hours competition in the city. They gave a list and you had to capture the image. The ordinary… girl in a red dress to the obscure… happiness
This could be a great camera club, family activity or promotion for you.