Raw App

Raw App burst onto the dating scene in 2023 with a simple but radical premise: no filters, no fake profiles, no bullshit. The app requires users to upload daily real-time photos using both front and back cameras simultaneously, which pretty much kills any chance of catfishing or hiding behind heavily edited shots. It’s dating with the training wheels off—authentic connections or nothing. The approach clearly resonated, because Raw shot to #1 most downloaded dating app on Google Play in both the US and UK shortly after launch, racking up over 500,000 Android downloads in its first few months. Where Raw gets interesting for the sextech world is its pivot beyond just swiping. The company announced the Raw Ring, a wearable device that tracks partner biometric data—think heart rate and other sensor readings—to provide AI-generated insights about intimacy and relationship dynamics. It’s an ambitious leap from dating app to intimacy tech hardware. More recently, Raw added an iPhone-powered ‘integrated vibrator’ feature that uses the phone’s haptic engine, ostensibly to make horny users think twice before rushing into connections (yes, really). The app’s also experimented with features like a Respect Meter and anti-ghosting rules to clean up some of dating culture’s messier corners. Founded by Marina Anderson and her team in New York City, Raw positions itself as the antidote to dating app fatigue—no scams, no games, just raw authenticity. Though it has faced some bumps (including a data exposure incident), the brand’s focus on genuine connection and its expansion into intimacy-tracking hardware makes it a player to watch in the space where dating meets sexual wellness tech.