No, you’re not in 2020, when everyone was obsessed with their Animal Crossing island. This is 2023, and the pandemic is over, but everyone is busy customizing their virtual rooms thanks to the brand-new Bondee app.
The new social networking app has taken Asia by storm, topping app store charts in multiple countries within a week of its official launch on January 17.
If you’ve been wondering why your friends have been posting cutesy avatars and QR codes on their Instagram Stories, or screenshots of virtual picnics, read on for our guide to Metadream’s new app.
What is Bondee?
Metadream, a Singapore-based technology firm, has created Bondee, a new social networking platform. Bondee, billed as a “next-generation social app,” features 3D-animated avatars (think Animal Crossing) that users can customize.
The world of Bondee is your oyster, whether it’s your avatar’s appearance, emotions (think facial expressions and status updates), hobbies, or the rooms it lives in.
Bondee allows users to chat with friends while their avatars participate in virtual activities such as camping, swinging, dancing, sailing, and more. Your avatars can visit and leave notes in each other’s rooms.
Why is Bondee So Popular?
Bondee has quickly become one of the most famous apps in Asia, topping the Social Networking rankings on the App Store in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand since its launch in January 2023. Bondee is among the top ten apps in Japan, but it has yet to crack the top ten in South Korea.
Several social media users praised the app for its customizability and interactive activities, while others compared it to games like Animal Crossing, Habbo Hotel, and Club Penguin.
Who is Behind Bondee?
Metadream, a Singapore-based tech startup, created Bondee. Metadream is an independent technology company that purchased True.ly’s intellectual property rights in May of last year. True.ly was an app that laid the groundwork for what would inevitably become Bondee, with the Metadream team making creative changes to True.ly in the six months leading up to its launch earlier this year.
Aside from its Singapore office, Metadream is currently working on Bondee in Japan and South Korea, where the company has merchandise, R&D, and operational bases. According to a press release, Metadream is currently planning to set up new operation centers in Thailand and the Philippines to meet “the immediate demands of local users”.
(In addition, Metadream operates three independent data centers in Singapore, Japan, and the United States.) The Bondee website also advertises job openings in San Francisco and Seoul. Metadream says it is currently “developing a series of metaverse creative products” in addition to Bondee.
Related Articles:
- PUBG Mobile Map Guide
- PUBG Mobile Map Guide – Erangel
- PUBG MOBILE Map Guide: Vikendi
- How to Control Novorepnoye on PUBG MOBILE
How to Download Bondee App on Android
Below is a comprehensive guide on how to download the Bondee App. Follow these simple steps to choose an easy method to download and install Bondee App on your Android phone:
- Step 1: Navigate to Google Play Store in your app drawer or Click this link to be redirected there now: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.metadream.bondee&hl=en_US&gl=US
- Step 2: Click the search bar and type in Bondee. Then tap Go.
- Step 3: Choose the app from the list of results. Click the Download button to begin the download.
- Step 4: Once the Bondee app download is complete, it will begin installation immediately.
- Step 5: Go to your App drawer and launch the game.
Please note that some additional game files might download when you open the game after the installation.
How to Use Bondee?
First and foremost, download the Bondee app from the App Store or Google Play. After you’ve downloaded the app to your preferred device, create an account with a mobile number and a password. You can then customize an avatar to your liking with a plethora of cosmetic options ranging from facial features to clothing, accessories/companions, and even a cat – and yes, you can pet the cat.
How to Add Friends
You should then add friends because it isn’t much you can do in Bondee without them. Search for their usernames or scan a QR code (the latter is a more efficient way of finding your friends).
After successfully adding a friend, you can start a conversation with them. In addition to standard texting options, there are customized emojis and actions that affect both users in a chat.
These activities include sitting on a sofa, camping, having a picnic, clubbing (aka dancing), and swinging. Individual actions include standing, sitting on the floor, in a beanbag, rocking chair, books, piles of cash, jelly, on the toilet, and other activities.
Users can even use a sailing function to send their avatars out into the digital world and meet random users to befriend. You will also be able to find random notes floating around the open sea, as well as the opportunity to win prizes such as new gear.
How Do I Design My Room in Bondee?
After you’ve created your avatar, you’ll be able to design your own room with a wide range of furniture and accessories such as bookshelves, TVs, desks, sofas, potted plants, musical instruments, and more. The posters, which you can upload your own images for, are probably the most customizable aspect of your Bondee room.
Go wild, but remember that space in a room is limited, so carefully plan your room’s layout to maximize its potential.
When you add friends on Bondee, you’ll be able to see your and their rooms at a glance in a tessellation that looks like a cross-section of an apartment building.
Do You Have to Pay for Bondee?
The Bondee app is completely free to use. However, its app store page indicates that in-app purchases are available, allowing you to purchase quantities of “B-Beans” with real money.
B-Beans purchase price:
- 100B – Beans – S$1.48 / RM4.90 / THB35 / PHP49 / JPY160 / KRW1,500
- 500B – Beans – S$6.98 / RM23.90 / THB179 / PHP249 / JPY800 / KRW7,500
- 1000B – Beans – S$14.98 / RM44.90 / THB349 / PHP499 / JPY1,600 / KRW15,000
- 2000B – Beans – S$28.98 / RM94.90 / THB729 / PHP999 / JPY3,200 / KRW 30,000
- 3000B – Beans – S$44.98 / RM144.90 / THB1,100 / PHP1,490 / JPY4,800 / KRW45,000
- 5000B – Beans – S$68.98 / RM239.90 / THB1,800 / PHP2,390 / JPY8,000 / KRW79,000
Several outfits in the app are currently available for a “limited free trial,” implying that these outfits will have to be purchased using B-Beans once the trial period expires.
Is Bondee Safe?
On January 27, screenshots began to circulate on social media, claiming that Bondee was a “scam” and that users’ credit card information had been leaked and unauthorized bank transfers had been made.
The same day, Bondee creator Metadream issued a statement calling the allegations “false and untrue,” claiming that the app does not collect credit card information or financial information. Metadream also said that it had “undertaken a precautionary review” of its systems and assured that “our systems and our users’ personal data remain safe and secure”.
Is Bondee an NFT App?
Bondee does include non-fungible tokens (NFT) and blockchain components. While Bondee does not appear to have implemented NFTs, its official privacy policy mentions their inclusion.
Users will be able to “create a blockchain-based wallet on the public blockchain within the platform,” according to the privacy policy. While real-world currency will be used to purchase B-Beans, B-Beans can also be used to purchase NFTs, which will then be stored in users’ blockchain wallets.
For purchases, the app will collect the following information: blockchain wallet balance, B-Beans order information, and NFT order information. According to Bondee’s privacy policy, it will not be able to access users’ wallet mnemonic phrases, private keys, wallet passwords, or other private data. Bondee’s NFT offerings are still unknown at this time.
So there you have it, all you need to know about the Bondee App, what it is, how to use it, and how to download the app on your smartphone.