Lucia L
There is an unfortunate gap when it comes to finding online spaces where you are able to talk openly about sex and relationships. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok regularly censor conversations on sexual topics or sex-related content, while marketplaces like OnlyFans are content-focused, rather than offering an (inter)active community.
Thanks to stigma and shame, talking about sex is often hard to do from the outset. It can often be difficult at home with friends and family, and it can be challenging to find a safe space to talk about sexual experiences online. The key word here really is safe, given the cesspit many areas of the internet turn into when sex is added into the mix.
The Mōn App was designed to create a space for these conversations, judgment-free, with support from the app’s community. It’s available for both iOS and Android devices.
In a nutshell, Mōn is an audio-first community-based app for having conversations on sex and relationships. Consider it a freestyle podcast app, with Discord-style functions that also features live streaming and a content library. Confused by that fusion? Read on!
Creating an inclusive & engaging space
The app was founded by Caleth Jones who identifies as queer. He felt there was a need to create an online space to talk about sex.
When developing the app, Caleth thought it was important to offer a platform to anyone who would like to share their experiences, without necessarily having to be experts on the subject, but rather let people talk openly.
Jones affirms that sex is a constant in our life experience, hence we should have more options when it comes to ways and platforms to talk about it.
The app aims to be fully inclusive. Before you sign up, you have to read and accept the community guidelines which are strictly against homophobia, racism, or any other form of discrimination. The team behind the app takes this mission seriously as it is key to make sure every user understands that this community needs to be an inclusive safe space for everyone who participates.
The app is steadily growing, with over 1500 new users monthly, organically. It currently has over 5 million in-app engagements and over 50 thousand direct messages have been exchanged between users. The success of the app is evident as the community engages on a daily basis.
Voice note features & sexy polls
The app’s core features include audio live streaming, a content library of erotica, educational content, and feeds for open conversations about sex and relationships.
The app’s most prominent feature is the voice note. As this app is based on conversational interaction and does not have visual content, this feature allows you to record a voice note that can be sexy or fun or ask questions to the community. These notes can stay in a feed and other users can answer or react to them, helping with engagement and sparking multiple conversations.
As a user, you have access to multiple feeds: the home feed which has status updates, voice memos, and a what’s happening now feed, which is constantly being updated.
For example, in October, there was a poll asking ‘Are you participating in Locktober? ‘ (Abstinence from sex during October). Users could engage with it by responding ‘Yes, but I need a keyholder”. Others said they weren’t interested and some don’t know what Locktober was, which also helped get the conversation started.
A chance to monetize
The app’s core features, such as audio live streaming, content library, and engaging conversation feeds, have already garnered a dedicated user base. Building on this success, Mōn is now poised to introduce new features that add an element of monetization, expanding the ways in which users can interact and benefit from the platform.
Jones is enthusiastic about these upcoming enhancements. One of the notable additions is the ‘wallet’ feature, which will enable featured users to monetize their profiles. This move is not just about adding commercial value; it’s about enriching the community experience by providing more diverse and substantial content, he says.
As these features roll out, they will offer users the ability to sell content through the existing library and monetize live or scheduled chats. What’s important to note here is that while Mōn evolves with these new functionalities, it remains committed to its core ethos of being a safe, inclusive space for open discussions on sex and relationships. It will not become a porn app, as it won’t allow nudity, and this feature will only be available to select users.
Are there apps similar to Mōn?
If we look at similar voice-first apps, the most popular one would be ClubHouse. However, Clubhouse doesn’t have an emphasis on a central community. Telegram voice chat and Reddit talk might also be options, but they aren’t sex specific and in some instances don’t allow sex-related conversation.
Discord would be another example, but it involves every conversation and there’s no central hub, similar to X (formerly Twitter). These apps have a higher reach and a wider usage than Mōn, but they don’t have the same community guidelines.
What the internet tends to currently offer are sexual content are marketplaces like OnlyFans, but there’s no community or central hub, as these are creator-focused apps.
Those creators who don’t want to do OnlyFans but still want to talk about sex and relationships could use the Mōn App to facilitate those conversations since topics around sex and relationships have been situated in one place.
Other apps targeted to talk about sex but are missing that community feature would include sex therapy apps like Blueheart, Lover, Paired, or Ferly. These apps are focused on sexual therapy and mindfulness and they have sex therapists and coaches as emotional support for their users.
This type of would likely be more beneficial for those who perhaps want more in-depth analysis and personalized guidance for sexual issues as opposed to feeling like they simply need a space to share and learn.
An overall verdict
I would recommend this app for various reasons. The first one being that Mōn App is great for people who want to talk about sex but feel the burden of shame and don’t feel comfortable sharing or consuming visual content.
It’s also valuable for people who want to listen to others having conversations but don’t yet feel confident to participate, as there’s no need to respond or react.
It’s also great if you want to learn about sex from people who aren’t necessarily experts but have lots to offer from their own life experiences.
This app is for creating community through engagement and content creation. Its particular niche is trying to do that based on voice, which makes it a memorable way to interact. However, it is still a growing community and doesn’t yet have the reach yet that it needs to be a viable social space.
The app works for those who won’t miss having visual content, but if you are a visual person looking to engage with a community, this space won’t offer you what want. If you are a creator looking to monetize your content, you might need to be patient as the monetization tools are still rolling out.
