Key facts
- Roost Social and Carrier Pidge are new mobile apps that simulate slow message delivery using carrier pigeons.
- Both apps were developed with the assistance of AI tools, including AI chatbots and coding assistants.
- Carrier Pidge messages travel at 110 mph in the app, with potential for delays or non-delivery.
- Roost Social offers a variety of animal avatars and additional features like mini-games and a pen pal connection.
- Roost Social's developer is replacing AI-generated artwork due to user backlash.
In an era dominated by instant digital communication, two new mobile applications, Roost Social and Carrier Pidge, are gaining traction by offering a deliberately slow messaging experience. These apps simulate the pace of traditional mail or carrier pigeons, appealing to users seeking a respite from the constant pings of modern life.
Both Roost Social and Carrier Pidge, launched in April, operate on a similar principle: users craft messages that are then delivered digitally at a speed mimicking that of a bird's flight over the distance between sender and recipient. While the developers were unaware of each other's projects, both apps have found substantial audiences.
Carrier Pidge specifically uses pigeons, which are depicted as traveling at 110 mph within the app, though actual pigeon flight speeds are closer to 50-60 mph. This speed means a message sent from Los Angeles to New York could take approximately 22 hours to arrive. The app further enhances the simulation by including features like a real-time flight tracker and a small chance (0.2%) that a virtual bird might get lost, meaning messages are not guaranteed to be delivered.
Roost Social offers a broader range of delivery avatars, including various birds and even a turtle, with speeds ranging from 51 mph for a mallard down to 1 mph for a turtle. Beyond messaging, Roost Social incorporates mini-games designed to level up the user's chosen animal avatar and a pen pal feature that randomly connects users globally.
The genesis of Roost Social dates back over a decade to a joke among college friends by creator Logan Mendelsohn, who is also a senior product manager at Ticketmaster. He began coding the app in May 2025 after posting the idea to TikTok and receiving positive engagement. The app was released on the Apple App Store on April 30. Mendelsohn utilized AI tools in the development process, including AI-generated artwork, though he faced backlash for the latter and plans to replace it.
Carrier Pidge creator Noah Iarrobino, a software engineer, developed his app more rapidly, conceiving the idea in early April and releasing it by April 18. He credits AI, specifically an AI chatbot and Claude Code, with significantly aiding the development process, stating that Claude Code wrote a substantial portion of the app.