What is Dispo? David Dobrik's photo app recreates the disposable camera experience and aesthetic
Seems like every week there's some new app you just have to get.
I mean who even are you if you're not on Clubhouse, at this point? (For the record, I am not a fan of Clubhouse.)
Dispo might is the latest app you'll soon hear that you have to be on. Here's the TL;DR: Dispo is a photo app from influencer David Dobrik that effectively mimics the disposable camera experience. But it's not exactly like other disposable camera apps out there.
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If you'd like a further breakdown, we've got it below.
What does the Dispo app do?
The basic answer is you use Dispo to take pictures. But the experience basically copies old-school disposable cameras. You point-and-shoot through a distant viewfinder, which features a crude zoom and flash function. Here's a screenshot of the Dispo view of my building's backyard in Brooklyn.
So you snap a photo, what happens next? Short answer: you wait. The photos don't "develop" until the following morning at 9 a.m. The photos will then show up in the apps camera roll, and have a neat, grainy quality, consistent with the whole disposable camera vibe. From there you can save the photos to your phone and share it wherever you'd like. (The pictures are more what you imagine disposable pics look like rather than how they actually looked, but I digress.)
For instance, here's a dumb selfie I took in a fuzzy hoodie when I first downloaded the Dispo app.
There isn't too much of a social component to Dispo. You can have shared, collaborative camera rolls, and different rolls for different nights/topics, as well as private rolls. You can also follow friends, like photos, and comment, but there really isn't a central feed like most social apps. It feels like an app for great party pictures that's aimed at easing the tension of needing to get the perfect shot.
"When I used to go to parties with my friends, they would have disposable cameras all throughout the house, and they’d urge people to take pictures throughout the night," Dobrik told the New York Times. "In the morning, they’d collect all the cameras and look back at the footage and be like, 'What happened last night?'"
Here's the latest ad for the app, which features a fake-old Dobrik looking back on all his fun times.
Who owns the Dispo app?
The app was founded by Dobrik, alongside collaborators Natalie Mariduen and Daniel Liss, who is the company's CEO. The app has become a darling of Silicon Valley investors. It raised $4 million last year via Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian's venture firm Seven Seven Six. Last month it raised a whopping $20 million in Series A funding led by Spark Capital, which valued the company at $200 million, according to Axios.
Do I need an invite for Dispo?
You used to need an invite similar to audio-only Clubhouse. But Dispo just recently opened up membership to everyone, so it's no longer an exclusive app.
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What's the controversy with Dispo?
The controversy with Dispo basically centers on Dobrik himself. Joseth "Seth" Francois, a former member of the Dobrik-centric Vlog Squad, has alleged he was sexually assaulted and the subject of racist jokes during his tenure with the group.
Francois said he was kissed by someone in a prank video, thinking he was kissing someone else. The video was titled, "HE THOUGHT HE WAS KISSING HER!! (SUPER CRINGEY)".
David Dobrik himself has yet to respond to the allegations and a representative for Dobrik declined to comment.
Where can I download Dispo?
If you're interested in Dispo, you can download Dispo in the App Store. Just one catch, for at least the time being, it's iPhone only.
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
