Facebook managed to sneak in a new app called Tuned, designed for couples who might be apart due to social distancing guidelines. Though the social media giant did not explicitly say that is its purpose, the app does arrive at a time when many couples are forced to distance from each other.
"With Tuned, you can be as mushy, quirky, and silly as you are together in person," the New Product Experimentation (NPE) Team by Facebook, which created Tuned, says on the App Store.
As the name of the division implies, the app is experimental, so don't be surprised one day if Facebook suddenly decides to pull the plug if it doesn't work out.
It's safe to say that the Tuned app is designed for couples who are currently spending time away from each other. Those who still live together, on the other hand, may have no need for the app. Its appeal is clearly for couples who need a platform in order to feel close despite the distance.
Unlike regular messaging apps, Tuned is more focused on sending stickers and updates to one person, that is, your better half. There's an option to link a Spotify account so couples can share songs with each other, and there are also widgets that show what one is doing or how the other is feeling.
For those observant enough, Messenger went through a lot of changes because it was what Facebook used to test the ground for new features. However, the social network soon found out that people on Messenger weren't all interested in the changes but continue to use the app anyway for communication.
This left Facebook with no app to experiment on, so that's why the NPE team exists. The division is in charge of creating features or apps that could potentially be the next big thing on social media, but if things don't go well, Facebook can easily call it off. We're not sure how this strategy is working out for NPE or Facebook though.
Tuned is being marketed as a private messaging app, but Facebook failed to clarify if it's encrypted like WhatsApp. What's clear though is that it's not a tie-in with Facebook Dating, the company's dating platform. It's also not integrated with Facebook itself, which is interesting.
As of writing, Tuned is only available for iPhone and iPad. It's unclear if an Android version is in the works.
