App proves, albeit falsely, that you’re off the market

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and this holiday is perhaps the best – or worst – reminder of your relationship status. Millions of people take to social media platforms to either proclaim their love for their significant other (and show off the balloons, flowers and chocolates that they received), or to lament the holiday that Hallmark cooked up, vowing that next Valentine’s Day will be different. But one man may have invented a service to help lessen the blow.  

Tired of being asked by his relatives whether he was in a relationship, Matthew Homann decided to create Invisible Boyfriend and its counterpart Invisible Girlfriend, an online subscription-based service that will pair you with a fake significant other, giving friends, family and co-workers the illusion you’re in a relationship.

That’s right, for as little as $24.99 per month, you can have your very own significant other who texts, calls, and sends notes so that others will think you’re in a relationship.

Interestingly, St. Louis-based Homann cooked up the idea after his mom pressed him for details about a potential dinner date. At the time, he was newly divorced and not quite ready to jump back into the dating scene.

“Around Thanksgiving, my mom called me and asked if she should set an extra place for someone I’m bringing. In that moment I realized how great it would be to have an answer for her that didn’t require me to actually be dating someone.”

Curious about some of the ways this application may prove helpful? Well, there’s the sure-fire way of getting your relatives or nosy friends off your back about dipping your toe into the dating pool. Homann contends that it also “creates a safe space for you to practice texting with a real human if you’re out of practice.” In addition, the application’s web site notes that an Invisible Boyfriend or Invisible Girlfriend might create just enough jealousy to cause a real-life significant other to make a stronger commitment.

“Our audience might come from a variety of situations: maybe they’re in a same-sex relationship they’re hiding from disapproving relatives, are trying to avoid the unwelcome advances from a coworker, or have chosen to focus on their work instead of romance,” Homann added. 

So how does it work? To get started, log in to https://invisibleboyfriend.com (or https://invisiblegirlfriend.com) and upload personal details such as your name, age and a recent photo. You can also choose desired personality traits for your new invisible partner. You can give details for a back story surrounding how you met your invisible partner, or your can keep the default selection that the app provides. Once you’ve finished setting up your account, you’ll start receiving communication from your new, invisible significant other! 

At this time, the service is only available in the United States and Canada, but Homann would like to see that expand to more countries in the near future.

“We believe the Invisible Partner concept meets a universal problem. Society puts so much pressure on your relationship status. From Grandma to coworkers to romantic comedies, everyone seems to expect us to pursue a relationship. But sometimes you don’t want to be in one. We think that’s totally normal,” the app’s web site notes in a recent blog post. 

Via Mashable and Invisible Boyfriend