What is Daze? A wannabe Gen Z messaging app is viral on TikTok

The next big thing might be a messaging app called Daze — but it hasn't even launched yet.

Because seemingly everything in 2024 has an AI component, yes, Daze does incorporate AI. It's a messaging app aimed at Gen Z that is designed to look free-flowing with lots of different fonts, colors, graphics, movement, stickers, drawings, and more. TikToks posted by the app have gone viral — the most watched has eight million views.

The TikTok shows a chat where someone talks to their crush and uses Daze's interactive features, such as drawing and games, to flirt and see if they like them back.

TechCrunch published a detailed article on Daze "blowing up" ahead of its planned launch on Nov. 4. It reported that Daze had 156,000 sign-ups on its waitlist. Still, right now the app has roughly 1,400 invite-only beta users. It seems like Daze is positioning itself as a more fun messaging app and has used AI to help power some of the creative tools.

"Our goal with Daze has been to make a feature complete messenger that is competitive with iMessage, WhatsApp, etc., while still having a suite of really fun and creative features," founder Willem Simons told TechCrunch. "You can quickly type a message and press send, or drag the message anywhere within the chat. It is easy to use and utilitarian, but also very free and unconstrained."

It obviously remains to be seen if there is a market for an AI-focused messaging app aimed at being more fun. Even if Daze were the next big thing, oftentimes the next big thing ends up being mostly hype and little substance. Remember Clubhouse?