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A Messaging Service By Miranda July

On October 31, 2015 somebody died. That somebody was Somebody.

Conceived as an art work, created with Miu Miu, and launched with a companion film, the app that asked strangers to deliver messages between friends exploded in ways we couldn’t have foreseen.

Despite the ridiculous challenges, one in four messages were delivered, and an average of ten thousand people used the app every day. The next step could only be to form a real company — a start-up! — to expand and improve on our user’s dedication. Or… to choose an end date and let Somebody go out as it came in: a wild experiment in public art, marking a particular moment in time.

Somebody has disappeared from the world forever. But you’ll still be here. And your friends are too. And there are strangers everywhere.

MJ

On October 31, 2015 somebody died.
That somebody was Somebody.

Conceived as an art work, created with Miu Miu, and launched with a companion film, the app that asked strangers to deliver messages between friends exploded in ways we couldn’t have foreseen.

Despite the ridiculous challenges, one in four messages were delivered, and an average of ten thousand people used the app every day. The next step could only be to form a real company — a start-up! — to expand and improve on our user’s dedication. Or… to choose an end date and let Somebody go out as it came in: a wild experiment in public art, marking a particular moment in time.

Somebody has disappeared from the world forever. But you’ll still be here. And your friends are too. And there are strangers everywhere.

MJ

Watch the Movie!

Writen and Directed By
Miranda July
Commissioned For
Miu Miu's "Women's Tales"
World Premiere
Venice Film Festival, 2014

More About Somebody

When you send your friend a message through Somebody, it goes — not to your friend — but to the Somebody user nearest your friend. This person (likely a stranger) delivers the message verbally, acting as your stand-in. The most high-tech part of Somebody is not in the phone, it’s in the users who dare to deliver a message to a stranger. Half-app / half-human, Somebody is a far-reaching public art project that incites performance and twists our love of avatars and outsourcing — every relationship becomes a three-way. The antithesis of the utilitarian efficiency that tech promises, here, finally, is an app that makes us nervous, giddy, and alert to the people around us.


Miranda July conceived of Somebody in March 2014 and worked with the designer Thea Lorentzen and a team of developers to quickly make the complex, gps-based messaging system. The project was created with support from MIU MIU along with a companion film - part of MIU MIU's women's tales series. The app and the movie premiered on August 28th, 2014. After an enthusiastic (but slightly frustrated!) response, Somebody was rebuilt from scratch. Version 2.0 was released in April 2015, for iOS and Android.

SHOW US HOW YOU USE SOMEBODY!

Send us a video, photo, email and we’ll share it!
Send to: [email protected]

WANT TO WRITE ABOUT SOMEBODY?

For media inquiries: [email protected]
For press release and images: download media kit

Frequently Asked Questions

How does it work?

  1. TAP "COMPOSE" AND PICK THE FRIEND YOU WANT TO SEND A MESSAGE TO.
  2. WRITE YOUR MESSAGE! You can add actions and directions to make sure your stand-in performs it exactly right.
  3. PICK YOUR SOMEBODY. You will be shown a list of people near your friend. Decide which stranger is your best stand-in by looking at their photo, likes, and rating.
  4. SEND! Both your Somebody and friend will be asked if now's a good time. If it is, your Somebody will be given your friend's picture and location on a map so they can meet up. Your stand-in gives an amazing performance as you! (You'll get a notification when your friend has gotten the message.)
  5. FLOATING. If there's no one nearby to deliver the message (or if now's not a good time for your friend) your message will be floated for other strangers to pick up.

Who can I send messages to?

You can send a message to your facebook friends and anyone in your contacts list who has also signed up with Somebody. Don’t see someone you want to send a message to? Invite them! You can send invitations to your friends by tapping on the “+” sign on the "Add Friends" page.

Why wouldn’t I just send a text?

Unpredictable, undocumented, fleeting interactions with strangers can bring great joy and inspiration! Pretending to be someone else is liberating. The feeling is a little like Truth or Dare + Charades.

I want to deliver a message but no one is picking me!

Check "Floating" and see if there are any messages waiting to be delivered to people near you. Pick one, tap "Deliver it" and if now's a good time for them, you'll have 45 minutes to find the recipient (we show you where they are on a map.) When you deliver the message really try to express the sender's feelings and intentions! YOU ARE THE BEATING HEART OF SOMEBODY!

Where can I send a message from?

As a Somebody user, you can send a message from anywhere in the world! Somebody relies on the receiver’s GPS. We use this location to try and find another user to deliver the message. If there is no one around, we’ll “float” the message for a user to pick up and deliver later.

Why do you need my location information?

Somebody uses your GPS location to find a stand-in near you that can deliver the sender’s message. By allowing your location, you provide a more detailed location history and a higher likelihood your message will be delivered.

What’s a floating message?

When there’s no one around to deliver a message, it goes to a “floating” list. Users interested in being a stand-ins can browse nearby floating messages and pick one to deliver.

How do I know a stand-in is trustworthy?

Each time a message is sent and received, we ask the recipient to give the stand-in a rating. Based on how many stars they average and how many messages they’ve delivered, you can choose who you’d like to enlist. You also might want to stare at their profile picture and their "likes."

What if I don’t want to receive messages?

You can change your status to "Do Not Disturb" if you’re unavailable for messages. Additionally, you'll always be asked if now's a good time before your location is shared with a stand-in.

What if I don’t want to deliver messages?

You can change your status to "Do Not Disturb" if you’re unavailable for messages.

Who owns Somebody?

Miranda July. You can contact her at [email protected].

Can I delete my account?

Yes. You can request deletion by emailing [email protected] from your active account’s email address.