Instead of typing “Sorry I keep missing your calls," she wrote "Sorry I keep missing your balls."
We've all had a text message or two we wish we could have back. From auto-correct fails, to heated texting arguments, to those drunken 2 a.m. messages, some texts would benefit from a 60 second buffer to think, should I really send this?
That's precisely what Chicago native Maci Peterson's app aims to do. Last December the 28-year-old from Oak Park launched On Second Thought, an Android app that allows users to recall messages up to a minute after sending them. OST imports all of your contacts and text messages, and it even works if the other person doesn't have the app. Users can set the length of their grace period, and then edit the text by swiping left or swiping right to delete the text all together.
Users can also set "curfews" that automatically send your text messages to a draft folder at a certain time of night--a particularly useful function for the frequent drunk texters out there.
Peterson came up with the idea for OST after one especially embarrassing auto-correct error left her in an awkward situation with an boyfriend. Instead of typing “Sorry I keep missing your calls," she wrote "Sorry I keep missing your balls," and her mission from that point forward was to give people a second chance at getting their text messages right.
"Our goal is to help people fix mistakes," she said.
The app, which won 1st place at SXSW's Startup Oasis in 2014, has more than 34,000 users, Peterson said, and plans to soon launch an iOS version. The app comes with 9 free text recalls per month, or $1.99 for unlimited monthly recalls. Users can also pay $9.99 for unlimited recalls for the year.
The goal for OST is to be a one-stop-shop messaging app, Peterson said, as the company plans to incorporate more services like Facebook messenger, Gchat, and other messaging apps into its platform. But thinking even further down the road, it would make sense for a device maker to scoop up OST's technology so the text recall function could become standard with the phone's messaging service. Peterson backed that up saying "an acquisition is absolutely our long-term goal."
Peterson said the company is in the process of closing a friends and family round of funding, and it is currently being featured in the Women Startup Challenge for a chance at $50,000.
"We want our users to feel truly secure in their conversations," she said.
Image via Maci Peterson
