High There started off as a cannabis-friendly dating app, however its recent relaunch has seen it expand into social networking with a broader target community.
The platform’s Chief Content Officer Jamie Solis told Forbes that High There’s initial launch saw it being dubbed ‘Tinder for Tokers’. However, following community feedback, “we’ve now implemented a user experience that is more engaging for app users to connect with others from all over the world”.
Part of this shift away from romantic connections is the change from a ‘connection model’ to a ‘follow model’, Solis explained. Moving away from its swiping system, users connect through following one another like mainstream social media networks.
New features on the platform include Rooms, a live chat tool which enables users to have conversations with other individuals with similar interests. It is also adopting a Global Stories feature, where users can share photos and video stories.
Part of this new stories feature is the ability to add a ‘global sticker’. Every story shared with the same sticker across the world will be categorised and kept together. The first sticker, “Puff Puff Pass”, allows users to share what they’ve been smoking, and tag a friend for a “digital rotation”.
High There has also updated its activity feed algorithm to personalise the experience, showing relevant content based on a user’s likes, dislikes, and interests. This means their feed will now have a ‘Following’ tab for friend’s content, and a TikTok-style ‘For You’ tab.
The platform’s Chief Technology Officer James Dunay explained the update saying “Our goal is still to connect enthusiasts with other users, but we’re also promoting the best cannabis content on the web, including images, videos, memes, stories, and articles. On High There, influencers can now build a following easier in a suppression-free environment that mimics much of what Instagram and TikTok offer”.
Forbes writes that “the app has shifted away from solely being a place for stoners to meet and date to a “living, breathing social network”.