Is Zenly shutting down? Over the past ten years, Zenly has gained popularity across Europe and Asia. But Snap, the parent organization of Snapchat, has decided to shut down the company. The closing date for Zenly as of right now is February 3, 2023. The fact that they will likely need to choose a new location-sharing app to utilize with loved ones is becoming increasingly clear to consumers.
Snap, Inc. made an announcement in September about 20% workforce reductions as well as internal service closures. Zenly, a well-known location-sharing app, was one of them. Zenly’s 40 million devoted users were devastated by this and instantly wondered when the service would shut down. This article examines Zenly’s closure and what customers can do to prepare for it.
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What is Zenly?
An innovative location-sharing app called Zenly was created in 2011 in Paris, France. The idea behind the smartphone app was to make it simple for buddies to view and share each other’s locations in an interactive version. The attention Zenly paid to make the Map the app’s highlight set it apart from its rivals.
Zenly quickly rose to the top 10 social apps for iOS and Android. It became famous after adding entertaining and engaging features like Share Your World, in-app messaging, customizable maps with favorite spots, and real-time location.
Before Snap (formerly known as Snapchat) rushed in with its multi-million-dollar offer, this app had raised $35 million in funding. Zenly creates an app that lets users find friends on a map and find their locations.
Why is Zenly shutting down?
But Zenly is more than mere convenience. It can be classified as a social app centered around a map. When we first launch the app, we display a map of all our friends. We can text our friends and request images if we notice them hanging out together. So we can see what they’re up to. Unlike many “social” apps, Zenly encourages us to interact with our friends and spend more time with them rather than staying home and scrolling.
CEO Evan Spiegel states in his open letter to the staff that “it is now evident that we must cut our overall costs to prevent suffering significant continuous losses given our current reduced pace of sales growth.” With a new emphasis on expansion, Snap has decided to discontinue services with a minimal chance of making a significant profit.
Many people are shocked by the decision because the app is among the most popular social apps in Europe and Asia. However, according to individuals who work inside, employees weren’t surprised by the decision to shut down Zenly. Snap declared that it would let go of 20% of its workforce.
Zenly’s social structural mapping software has more than 40 million active users. But Snap has chosen to shut down the business. Zenly was well-liked by its users, but the app needed to figure out how to start making money from its vast customer base. Snap decided to close Zenly and focus on other businesses, like Snapchat. It was unable to bring in any significant revenue for the parent firm.
What is a replacement for Zenly?
Users should look for alternative location-sharing applications they can use with their friends. Because Zenly gradually starts the process of discontinuing services and closing the app. Life360 is a well-liked substitute with a significant rise in user downloads. Life360, like Zenly, enables users to communicate with friends and family by exchanging locations on an interactive map. However, the Life360 app provides more than simply location sharing.
In contrast to Zenly, iSharing uses Google Maps or Apple Maps to display map data. The interactive features of the Zenly app might not be available. However, the software continues to provide high location accuracy while using very little battery power, and it excels at the location-sharing feature vital to Zenly.
By not asking users to join “a team,” iSharing still works effectively between friends, in contrast to location-sharing apps like Life360 aimed at families. Each user can register and add anyone they choose as a buddy. Location sharing starts as soon as the users accept one another as friends. The app also has user-configurable privacy options that let users choose which friends receive their location data.
Additionally, iSharing has excellent security measures that Zenly needs to improve. Users can view the past 90 days’ location history for themselves and their friends, for example. Additionally, users can configure Place Alerts, which trigger push notifications whenever a buddy enters or exits a certain area. In true emergencies, users can send SOS panic alerts, which cause all their friends to get messages asking them to check on them and immediately see their location.
What can Zenly users do?
Zenly requests that its users keep using Snapchat’s Snap Map function on the same site. They mention the possibility of account transfers from Zenly to Snap Map. It still needs to be determined if Snap Map can support all the capabilities offered by Zenly.
Due to this confusion, individuals who still wanted to reveal their location began searching for the top Zenly alternatives. ISharing is the most popular app among the options mentioned.
Zenly is loved in nations outside North America, and many followers criticize Snap for their lack of global perspective. Many Twitter user discussions have focused on finding the best Zenly substitute. These users claim that the app is now an essential part of their daily routine and that they want to keep communicating with their friends. According to user reviews on Zenly, iSharing stands out as a top app in Japan.
Conclusion
Economic issues make it challenging for the company to continue operations, resulting in the decision to close this app. It is based on the information provided by the company on its community website.
“Unfortunately, Zenly finds it challenging to continue operations given the current state of the economy.” We appreciate how much you use Zenly to join pals when they get together, spam friends with emojis while you’re out and about, and post what’s happening. “However, it’s right for us to part ways,” the CEO clarified.