UPDATED 23:31 EST / FEBRUARY 25 2015

NEWS

Awww: Buzzfeed launches Tinder-like Cute or Not app for rating pet pictures

cute or notBuzzfeed Inc. has launched a new app for rating pet pictures called Cute or Not.

The app offers Tinder-like functionality for voting for pet pictures: you swipe right if the animal is cute, or swipe left if the dog or cat you’re viewing doesn’t rate as being given a cute swipe.

Along with rating other people’s pets, users are able to upload a picture of their own pet for consideration, can share pet pictures seen in the app to social media, and earn badges for their participation along the way.

Cute or Not is Buzzfeed’s second app, and sees the company reach out into the experimental app space following their acquisition of app maker GoPop February 19th.

BuzzFeed VP of Product Chris Johanesen explained in a post on the Buzzfeed Tech Blog that “experimentation is one of the building blocks of BuzzFeed’s DNA.”

“Cute or Not is …about making something we think will delight people. In fact, Cute or Not actually started as an editorial experiment by BuzzFeed’s animals team where BuzzFeed community members could upload their pets to BuzzFeed and vote for their favorites. We believed that Cute or Not would make an even better app experience and wanted to build something that our community could have fun with.”

Of particular interest is the announcement that Buzzfeed is moving away from a one size fits all app towards multiple apps covering their various different content streams.

“As we thought about what the best experience for each of these things would be, it became increasingly apparent that shoehorning all the ways to experience BuzzFeed into one app doesn’t make sense” Johanesen added. “We don’t see it as ‘unbundling’ as much as focusing. Instead of having one baseline for all types of stories and media we need to build apps that can excel at providing the best experience for each.”

There’s nothing not to like about the app, unless of course you’re among the very few on the planet who don’t like cute animals.

Sadly though the app is only available for iOS devices. You can download it here.


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