Can This App Save Your Long Distance Relationship?

If you're in a long distance relationship, chances are you already know that technology is your best friend. But now a new app called Without might make long distance even easier. Or, if you're in an unhealthily clingy relationship, it can help you be even more codependent. Hooray!

The app is basically a social network that only connects you to one person. It lets you share pictures and send quick notes easily, and it even shows you the weather at your significant other's location. Or, if you're not doing the long distance thing, in your location.

The app only allows users to connect with one person, so really it's like creating a special destination space on your phone just for your relationship. Which is great if you're living hundreds (or thousands) of miles away and don't have any real, physical spaces for your relationship.

Though, if you're not doing long distance, this might be a little creepy. Especially since the app also includes a Bluetooth component that lets you know when the two of you are in close proximity. The app promises this is "less creepy than you'd think," but to me that takes it's potentially problematic uses from "fostering clingy-ness and codependence" to "legitimately terrifying stalking possibilities." I mean, I imagine that for long distance-ers closing in on a reunion, seeing the two of you get closer and closer is great. For people who have a controlling significant other who likes to "keep tabs" on them, it sounds terrible.

Still for people in a long distance relationship, the app sounds pretty great — which is what the creator had in mind when he developed it. After his girlfriend moved 2,000 miles away for her dream job, Jeremy Schoenherr says they tried the apps available for long distance couples, but found that they were so overloaded with features it was hard to just know what the other person was up to. So he started working on something simpler and came up with Without.

So will it be used mainly for people trying to stay connected while living long distance? Or will it become the latest way for you best friend and the boyfriend she's obsessed with to become even more annoying? Only time will tell. But either way, hopefully there's an option to disable that creepy Bluetooth feature. I'm just saying.

Image: Giphy