Locket, the innovative photo-sharing application that enables users to display images from friends directly on their home screens via widgets, is embarking on a new growth strategy by integrating celebrity interactions into its platform. Launched in 2022, Locket quickly positioned itself as a competitor to BeReal, emphasizing authentic connections by allowing users to share unfiltered selfies and life updates with a select group of up to 20 close friends.
Since its inception, Locket has achieved remarkable milestones, boasting over 80 million total downloads and more than 9 million daily active users. Collectively, users have shared in excess of 10 billion photos. In 2024, the company reached profitability, a notable achievement considering its modest fundraising efforts totaling $12.5 million.
To further accelerate its growth, Locket has been discreetly testing a feature named Celebrity Lockets over the past six months, officially announcing its launch recently. This feature primarily targets music artists, providing them with a unique avenue to engage with fans by sharing updates about upcoming shows, new album releases, and other pertinent news. Initial trials have been conducted with artists such as Suki Waterhouse and JVKE, with plans to onboard additional artists in the near future.
The functionality of Celebrity Lockets is straightforward: celebrities can share a link on their social media platforms, or fans can search for them within the app to add them. Once connected, celebrities can send photos directly to their fans’ home screens. This direct-to-home-screen approach offers a level of immediacy and intimacy that traditional platforms may lack, transforming passive followers into active participants.
Artists have the flexibility to choose the number of fans they wish to connect with, ranging from 1,000 to 15,000 slots. For example, Suki Waterhouse has connected with 5,000 fans through the app, contributing to Locket’s user base growth. Notably, 17% of these fans were new to Locket, indicating the feature’s potential to attract fresh users.
The exclusivity of being among a select group of fans enhances the sense of special connection, preserving the intimate nature of Locket’s brand. Recognizing that the community already uses Locket to share music with friends, integrating direct connections with favorite artists is a natural progression for the platform.
While initial feedback from testers has been positive, it remains to be seen whether this feature will significantly boost Locket’s user numbers. Similar initiatives by other platforms, such as BeReal’s RealPeople, have received mixed reactions, with some users expressing a preference for platforms that offer respite from celebrity content.
