About

Dispo, originally called David's Disposable, is a photo-sharing smartphone application based on YouTuber David Dobrick's Instagram account. The app digitally edits the user's photographs so that they mimic the qualities associated with disposable cameras. Users take a picture, through a small, rectangular viewfinder on their smartphone screen. After taking a picture, the app sends the photo to Dispo's servers users must wait until 9 A.M. the next day, when the photo returns to the user's device. The user cannot edit or retouch photos. Within one month of release, the app had already been downloaded more than 1 million times.

History

On June 15th, 2019, David Dobrick posted his first photograph on his secondary Instagram^[1] account @davidsdisposable. The page features photographs from one of Dobrick's disposable cameras. The post received more than 176,000 likes in less than one year (shown below).

On December 21st, 2019, the application David's Disposable launched on Apple's App Store.^[2] Over the next year, developers continued to work on the application, which would eventually come to be known as Dispo. On February 25th, 2021, the app entered public beta.^[4]

The following week, on March 1st, Dobrik's alternate YouTube account David Dobrik Too published an advertisement for the app. The video, which features Dobrik heavily made up to appear elderly reviewing photographs while crying, received more than 2 million views in less than 24 hours (shown below).

Features

The application is designed to mimic the experience of using a disposable camera, both in the design of the application and in function.^[2] When users open the app, the must hold their phone horizontally and see their subject through a small viewfinder, as they would on a physically disposable camera. The only control on the camera is a switch for the Flash.

Like a disposable camera, users must wait for their photographs to arrive as if they are being developed. Photographs are delivered to the user at 9 AM the following day. Prints of the photographs can also be ordered.

The description for the app states:

Hey, it’s David!! Let me know what you think of my new Disposable App.

It’s super easy to use! Just open the app, take your photos, and wait for them to develop. At 9AM every day, you will get a notification that your photos are developed and ready to be viewed, similar to actual disposable cameras. Plus, no more having to waste money buying cameras from the store. We’re bringing high-quality film to your phone.

And the best part… you can actually order your photos as prints direct from the app straight to your home. Say goodbye to waiting 3 weeks for the shop to call you back.

I hope you enjoy taking photos with this app as much as I do!

Highlights

On January 9th, 2020, Business Insider^[3] reported that the app had been downloaded more than 1 million times.

Reception

As more people used the app, many began posting examples of their photos online. On February 21st, 2021, Twitter^[5] user @mg wrote, "Recent
@DispoHQ shots giving off some early Instagram vibes. Waiting a day to see how they “develop” is really something fun. Even the out of focus or less-than-perfect shots bring a lot of character" (shown below, left).

On February 23rd, Twitter^[9] user @ianrborthwick, an investor in Dispo, tweeted, "….DISPO is about to fuck some shit up." In the post, they included a photo of Dispo ranking on the App Stores most-downloaded apps list at number five (shown below).

On February 24th, 2021, the newsletter digitalnatives^[6] said of the app:

We’re seeing a fascinating reversing of culture. Where Instagram filters in 2011 made everyone beautiful, TikTok filters in 2021 make everyone ugly. And where Instagram gave you filters to help your bad photos look good, Dispo purposefully makes your good photos look worse.

Several media outlets covered the app's launch, including The New York Times,^[4] Mashable,^[7] Entrepreneur, BuzzFeed ^[8] and more.

Search Interest

External References