Photo-sharing app Locket is banking on a new celebrity-focused feature to fuel its growth

Locket, the innovative photo-sharing application that enables users to share images directly with friends through home screen widgets, is making headlines with its latest strategy to engage users: a celebrity-centric feature. Launched in 2022, Locket has quickly positioned itself as a rival to BeReal, promoting a genuine way for users to connect. The app allows individuals to display an ever-updating widget on their iPhone home screens featuring the latest photos shared by a select group of up to 20 close friends. With over 80 million downloads and more than 9 million daily active users, Locket has witnessed its community share an astounding 10 billion photos. Impressively, the company reported achieving profitability in 2024, despite raising just $12.5 million in funding. To further enhance its growth trajectory, Locket has been testing a new feature dubbed "Celebrity Lockets" for the past six months, which was officially announced recently. This feature primarily targets music artists, allowing them to interact with fans by sharing updates about concerts, album releases, and more. Initial tests included artists like Sukie Waterhouse and JVKE, with additional names to follow. Celebrities can promote their Locket presence through social media links, enabling fans to easily add them within the app. This connection allows stars to send images directly to their fans’ home screens, offering a level of immediacy and intimacy that many other platforms lack. Founder Matt Moss emphasized that this feature transforms passive followers into active participants in the artists' journeys. Artists can select between 1,000 to 15,000 fans for direct engagement. For example, Suki Waterhouse currently connects with 5,000 fans, helping to attract new users to the platform—17% of whom were new to Locket. This exclusivity fosters a sense of specialness among fans, enhancing the intimate atmosphere Locket aims to maintain. While initial feedback has been positive, the impact of this initiative on Locket's overall user growth remains uncertain. A similar approach by BeReal, known as "RealPeople," received mixed reviews, with some users expressing a desire to disconnect from celebrity culture. As Locket continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how this celebrity feature will influence its path forward.