In a move to simplify personal photo sharing, Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of the now-defunct Indian social network Koo, has launched a new app called PicSee. The app, available on both iOS and Android from Thursday, is designed to automatically detect photos of friends in your camera roll and share them without needing messaging apps like WhatsApp or Instagram.
Bidawatka explained that your friends likely have many photos of you that you do not. “Either they forgot to send you those photos, or they themselves have forgotten about those photos,” he said. PicSee uses on-device face recognition to pick out photos of your friends.
Once a friend is on PicSee, you can send a sharing request. When accepted, they receive the first batch of photos of them from your gallery. The app continues to detect new photos and prompts you to share them. If you do not send the photos manually, PicSee will automatically send them after 24 hours. You can review photos before sending and even recall them later, which removes them from the recipient’s device.
The app prioritizes privacy. All face detection happens on the device, photos are stored locally, and encrypted connections are used during sharing. PicSee also filters NSFW images and prevents screenshots to protect users.
However, the app faces challenges in adoption. While it works well for sharing with close friends or family, most users may hesitate to allow automatic sharing with a wider circle. Current alternatives like WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, and Snapchat already serve this purpose for many people. PicSee does not yet address situations where someone requests a specific photo from an event such as a wedding or concert.
The app includes a chat feature for commenting on photos and plans to expand with album management, duplicate removal, integration with Google Photos and iCloud, and face detection for videos.
Billion Hearts, the company behind PicSee, raised four million dollars last year in funding led by venture firms including Blume Ventures, General Catalyst, and Athera Ventures.
PicSee aims to make sharing memories simple and private while keeping user control and consent at the forefront.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
