You're sitting there with some Trader Joe's dumplings, Netflix and your cat. Suddenly, a text from a beautiful girl or boy appears on your phone. It's flirty! Emoji are involved! And all it cost was $24.99.
Yes, a new set of apps called Invisible Boyfriend and Invisible Girlfriend will set you up with a fake romantic partner who will text you, leave you voicemails and even send you a handwritten note. The app will also concoct a place where you first met, like a coffee shop, which would be true if you signed up for the service at a Starbucks.
This isn't just some chatbot texting you. The company employs hundreds of living, breathing human beings who send out loving messages and probably have to lie when asked what they do at parties.
Matt Homann had the idea for the app after experiencing some heartbreak of his own.
"I was newly divorced and got tired of everyone asking if I was dating, if I was seeing someone," Homann told TODAY.
Right now, $24.99 gets you:
- 100 text messages
- 10 voicemails
- 1 handwritten note
Homann said that he is considering adding the option to get flowers and gifts sent from your fake boyfriend or girlfriend. (Actual human contact not included.)