--- schema_type: "SoftwareApplication" entity_type: "Mobile Application" app_name: "Wink Social: Make New Friends" developer_entity: "9 Count, Inc." bundle_id: "co.9count.sodaplus" app_store_id: "6465895427" google_play_id: "biz.wafas.wink" category: "Social Networking" primary_platform: "ios" primary_monetization: "Subscription" offline_capable: false market_region: "US" platforms: "iOS & Android" app_last_updated: "2026-07-16" report_date: "2026-07-29" last_verified: "2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z" report_version: "12.1.0" total_reviews: 6167 overall_rating: 4 sentiment: "Frustrated" sentiment_score: 25 confidence: "high" confidence_score: 0.85 top_praise_theme: "The core social connection concept remains engaging for users looking to meet new people" top_complaint_theme: "Aggressive paywalls prevent users from viewing friend requests or initiating basic conversations with others" review_sample_size: 394 total_review_count: 394 analyzed_review_count: 68 data_age_days: 18 momentum_velocity: "active" intelligence_version: 49 nemesis: "MiChat Lite-Chat, Make Friends" competitor_count: 11 tags: ["social networking", "subscription", "frustrated sentiment", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "individuals", "seeking", "social"] canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/apps/soda-make-new-friends" license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0" content_version: "v2" --- # Wink Social: Make New Friends Intelligence Report ## TL;DR {#tldr} - **Category**: Social Networking · Subscription - **Signal**: Rating 4.05 · Sentiment Frustrated - **Recent focus**: Aggressive paywalls prevent users from viewing friend requests or initiating basic conversations with others (top complaint) · The core social connection concept remains engaging for users looking to meet new people (top praise) > **TL;DR:** Wink Social: Make New Friends is a social networking app by 9 Count, Inc., rated 4.05/5 by 6.1K users, with Frustrated user sentiment (25/100), available on iOS & Android. > > **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** - Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence. > **Key Insight:** Wink Social: Make New Friends faces Frustrated user sentiment (4.05/5 from 6.1K reviews), with users reporting aggressive paywalls prevent users from viewing friend requests or initiating basic conversations with others as the primary concern. ## Quick Facts | Fact | Value | | :--- | :--- | | **Rating** | 4.05/5 (6.1K reviews) | | **User Mood** | Frustrated | | **Category** | Social Networking | | **Developer** | 9 Count, Inc. | | **Pricing** | Subscription | | **Platforms** | iOS & Android | | **Confidence** | High (0.85/1.0) | | **Data Age** | 18d | ## Metadata & Market Performance - **Publisher:** 9 Count, Inc. - **Category:** Social Networking - **Target Audience:** Individuals seeking new social connections through AI-facilitated introductions rather than traditional swiping interfaces. - **Platforms:** iOS & Android - **Version Reviewed:** 12.1.0 - **Report Date:** 2026-07-29 - **Signal Count:** 394 reviews analyzed - **Confidence:** High (0.85/1.0) - **App Store ID (iOS):** 6465895427 - **Bundle ID:** co.9count.sodaplus - **Google Play ID:** biz.wafas.wink - **Performance Trend:** Declining - **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-07-29 - **Short Description:** #chat #connect #share ## Executive Snapshot **What it is:** Wink Social is a social networking app for iOS and Android that uses AI to match users based on interests and personality traits. **Why users hire it:** Users turn to Wink to bypass the fatigue of traditional swipe-based social discovery, seeking a more intentional way to meet new people locally. ## App DNA (Features & Intent) - **[Differentiator] Wink AI Matching:** AI-driven profile matching based on user interests and personality traits to suggest potential friends. * *User Intent:* Users seek social connection and competitive engagement with peers. - **[Differentiator] Collectible Vibes:** Personality-based digital items that users add to profiles to spark conversations. * *User Intent:* Users value self-expression and personalized experiences. ## Market Position {#market-position} Wink Social maintains a presence in European markets, recently hitting #37 Free in Iceland and #52 Free in Latvia. The discrepancy between free-tier chart performance and persistent negative sentiment regarding paywalls suggests that conversion friction is currently limiting long-term network growth. ## Monetization Strategy - **Model:** Subscription - **Tiers:** Free tier, Auto-renewing subscription - **Analysis:** Monetization relies on auto-renewing subscriptions managed through iTunes account settings. ## 🔴 User Sentiment (High Confidence: 68 of 394 reviews analyzed) {#user-sentiment} - **Overall Rating:** 4.05/5 - **Platform Split:** iOS 4.0/5 (5.9K ratings) | Android 4.1/5 (274 ratings) - **Overall Sentiment:** Frustrated - **Note:** The 4.05/5 store rating reflects cumulative history, while the Frustrated sentiment reflects recent user reviews analyzed by our AI pipeline. ### Top Praises - **The core social connection concept remains engaging for users looking to meet new people** ### Top Complaints (Impact Areas) - **Aggressive paywalls prevent users from viewing friend requests or initiating basic conversations with others** ## SWOT Analysis {#swot} **Core Strengths:** - AI-driven matching reduces small-talk friction - Ad-free positioning appeals to users fatigued by traditional social media monetization **Growth Levers:** - Localized pricing in high-ARPU markets could improve conversion - Introducing a freemium messaging tier could reduce churn ## Recent Changes (v48 → v49) {#recent-changes} Wink Social has transitioned into a maintenance cycle, with development velocity shifting toward stability fixes while user sentiment declines due to new complaints regarding account management and restrictive policies. **Overall trend**: Declining **Compared at**: 2026-07-29 ### High-impact changes - **[Declined] Emergence of Account Management Complaints** (sentiment) - **[Shifted] Development Stagnation** (positioning) ### Medium-impact changes - **[Shifted] Feature Set Reconfiguration** (features) - **[Added] Technical Instability Weakness** (swot) ## Rivals Landscape {#rivals} > Competitive positioning identified by AI analysis of app features, category, and market signals. ### Wink Social: Make New Friends vs MiChat Lite-Chat, Make Friends - **[MiChat Lite-Chat, Make Friends](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-michatapp-im-lite)** by MICHAT PTE. LIMITED: MiChat competes directly for the same social discovery demographic, leveraging proximity-based features to facilitate new connections. - **Key differences:** - Offers a 'Message Tree' feature for anonymous interaction, which is absent in Wink's AI-focused model. - Provides a massive, established user base for 'People Nearby' discovery, creating a strong network effect. - Includes built-in multimedia messaging and video capture tools that provide a more traditional social experience. ### Contenders (Strong Challengers) - **[Yomik - Interesting & Chat](https://marlvel.ai/apps/host-hatspotlight-android)** by Snaptubideo: Yomik captures the same social discovery market by focusing on content sharing and discovery as the catalyst for new friendships. - Emphasizes content sharing and discovery, which serves as a conversation starter unlike Wink's AI-driven profile matching. - Maintains a high volume of active users, providing a more reliable discovery experience for new joiners. - **[Ayome-More than VoiceChat](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ayome-sg)** by Ayome: Ayome targets the social networking market by emphasizing group voice communication as the primary method for meeting new people. - Prioritizes group voice chat rooms, offering a more communal social experience than Wink's individual-focused AI matching. - Positions itself as an entertainment-first platform, contrasting with Wink's focus on intentional, interest-based connection. - **[Yaahlan:Voice Chat Party&Games](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-immomo-biz-yaahlan)** by Yaahlan Team: Yaahlan competes for the same social networking audience by shifting the focus toward real-time voice interaction and integrated gaming. - Integrates casual games directly into the chat experience, increasing session length compared to Wink's text-first approach. - Focuses on group voice chat rooms, whereas Wink prioritizes one-on-one AI-facilitated connections. - **[Ximi Video Live](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ximi-live)** by ABDULMONEM MOHAMED SALEH: Ximi competes for user attention by providing 24/7 live video and audio interaction, targeting users seeking immediate social engagement. - Features 24/7 live video and audio interaction, providing a more immediate social outlet than Wink's AI-curated matching. - Uses interest-based chat rooms to organize users, a broader discovery approach than Wink's personalized AI vibe-matching. ### Peers (What They Do Better) - **[Cocco - Party & Live Streaming](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ollalive-mobile)** by Cocco dev: Cocco competes for the same social networking demographic by combining live streaming with voice chat and beauty-enhanced video. - Includes 'Smart Beauty Filters' and 'Real Person Certification', which address trust and vanity concerns in social discovery. - Offers a hybrid experience of voice rooms and live streaming, providing more variety than Wink's focused AI approach. - **[ShxHub- Discover and Chat Live](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-xdame-chatchat)** by VOIETRDD LLC: ShxHub operates in the same social discovery space, focusing on live video interaction to facilitate quick connections. - Focuses on live video interaction, providing a more visual and immediate connection method than Wink's AI-based text matching. - Offers direct profile exploration, allowing users to browse potential friends manually rather than relying on AI suggestions. - **[WN Social (Worldnoor)](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ogoul-worldnoor)** by Posh Enterprise Inc.: WN Social provides a broad social networking platform that includes live streaming and real-time translation for global connectivity. - Includes real-time translation features, enabling cross-language social connections that Wink's current AI model does not support. - Provides an 'Interactive Gallery' for content sharing, shifting the focus from matching to long-term social feed engagement. - **[Yubo: Chat Meet & Make Friends](https://marlvel.ai/apps/yubo-chat-meet-make-friends)** by Twelve APP: Yubo is a major peer in the social discovery space, utilizing a swipe-to-connect mechanic to facilitate friendships among younger demographics. - Uses a 'Swipe-to-Connect' mechanic that is highly intuitive and familiar to this app social discovery demographic. - Implements 'SafeBlur' and mandatory age verification, which reviewers describe as essential safety features for younger users. ### New Kids on the Block (What's Innovative) - **[MingloTalk: AI Character Chat](https://marlvel.ai/apps/ai-minglotalk-chatbot)** by shopihi: MingloTalk enters the space by leveraging AI-driven character interaction and community sharing, competing for the same AI-curious audience. - Focuses on 'Infinite Personas' and AI universe creation, offering a more creative, fantasy-based social experience than Wink. - **[Mylize: stay closer](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-mylize-mylize_frontend)** by BML Tech: Mylize is a new entrant focusing on daily activity feeds and data integration to foster closer social connections. - Integrates external data sources into a daily activity feed to provide context for social interactions. ## What's New - **Latest (v12.1.0, 1 weeks ago):** General stability update and performance improvements for the Wink Social experience. ## App Momentum (Active) {#momentum} - Ships updates every three weeks. - Latest release focuses on stability. > **Cadence:** 8 total versions · 0 majors in last 6 months · 13 days since last update · 17 days avg between updates ## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what} Wink Social: Make New Friends is a social networking app. With a 4.05/5 rating from 6.1K reviews, it faces significant user friction. > **Bottom Line:** Transitioning basic messaging to a free tier would address the primary churn driver identified in reviews, unlocking the network growth necessary to compete with MiChat's scale. **Best for:** Individuals seeking new social connections through AI-facilitated introductions rather than traditional swiping interfaces. ### PM Action Plan (Next Best Moves) - [ ] [PIVOT] Migrate basic messaging to the free tier because paywalls on core social features are the #1 complaint theme → increase retention ### Feature Gaps vs Competitors - Anonymous interaction features (available in MiChat but missing here) ### Outlook: Declining The social discovery market is consolidating around platforms that offer immediate, low-friction connection, leaving Wink's AI-curated model exposed to competitors with larger user bases. Without a shift toward a more accessible free tier, the platform risks losing its remaining active users to rivals that prioritize immediate social interaction. - 🔴 Persistent complaints regarding paywalls on basic social features erode the user base, which compounds the churn pressure already visible in recent reviews. - ⚪ The latest release focuses on general stability, indicating the team is currently in maintenance mode rather than aggressive feature expansion. ## Key Metrics Summary | Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Overall Rating | 4.05/5 | | Total Reviews | 6.1K | | Sentiment | Frustrated (25/100) | | Confidence | High | | Pricing Model | Subscription | | Platforms | iOS & Android | | Key Features | 2 analyzed | | Trend | Declining | | Outlook | Declining | ## Competitor Comparison | App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Wink Social: Make New Friends** (this app) | 4.05/5 | Frustrated | 9 Count, Inc. | | [Mylize: stay closer](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-mylize-mylize_frontend) | 3.0/5 | N/A | BML Tech | | [ShxHub- Discover and Chat Live](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-xdame-chatchat) | 4.6/5 | N/A | VOIETRDD LLC | | [Ximi Video Live](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ximi-live) | 4.2/5 | N/A | ABDULMONEM MOHAMED SALEH | | [MiChat Lite-Chat, Make Friends](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-michatapp-im-lite) | 4.1/5 | N/A | MICHAT PTE. LIMITED | | [Yaahlan:Voice Chat Party&Games](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-immomo-biz-yaahlan) | 3.7/5 | N/A | Yaahlan Team | ## Company Profile - **Developer:** 9 Count, Inc. - **Website:** [https://www.winksocial.ai/](https://www.winksocial.ai/) - **Social:** [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/winkapp) · [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@getwinkapp) ## Data Sources & Links - **App Store:** [View on Apple Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soda-make-new-friends/id6465895427?uo=4) - **Google Play:** [View on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=biz.wafas.wink&hl=en&gl=us) - **Dev Site:** [Official Website](https://www.winksocial.ai/) - **Sources:** Developer website content, About us / company information, App store metadata, User reviews. ## Related Intel Reports - [*Mylize: stay closer*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-mylize-mylize_frontend) (BML Tech) · 3.0/5 Rating - [*ShxHub- Discover and Chat Live*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-xdame-chatchat) (VOIETRDD LLC) · 4.6/5 Rating - [*Ximi Video Live*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ximi-live) (ABDULMONEM MOHAMED SALEH) · 4.2/5 Rating - [*MiChat Lite-Chat, Make Friends*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-michatapp-im-lite) (MICHAT PTE. LIMITED) · 4.1/5 Rating - [*Yaahlan:Voice Chat Party&Games*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-immomo-biz-yaahlan) (Yaahlan Team) · 3.7/5 Rating - [*WN Social (Worldnoor)*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ogoul-worldnoor) (Posh Enterprise Inc.) · 4.5/5 Rating - [*Ayome-More than VoiceChat*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ayome-sg) (Ayome) · 4.3/5 Rating - [*Cocco - Party & Live Streaming*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-ollalive-mobile) (Cocco dev) · 4.2/5 Rating - [*Yomik - Interesting & Chat*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/host-hatspotlight-android) (Snaptubideo) · 4.4/5 Rating - [*MingloTalk: AI Character Chat*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/ai-minglotalk-chatbot) (shopihi) · 4.8/5 Rating ## Frequently Asked Questions {#faq} ### Is Wink Social free to use? Wink Social offers a free tier, but many core social features, such as viewing friend requests and initiating basic conversations, are locked behind an auto-renewing subscription. ### How does Wink Social compare to MiChat? MiChat relies on proximity-based discovery and has a larger, established user base, whereas Wink Social focuses on AI-driven matching based on user interests and personality traits. ### Is Wink Social safe for making new friends? Wink Social markets itself as a platform for intentional connection, but users should exercise standard caution as with any social discovery app, as moderation policies and account management have been points of user frustration. ### What are some alternatives to Wink Social? Users seeking social discovery can consider MiChat for proximity-based matching, Yubo for swipe-to-connect mechanics, or Ayome for group voice chat experiences. ## Methodology {#methodology} This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 5-stage AI intelligence pipeline: 1. **Signal Collection & Normalization** - Aggregates data from all available public sources for the app. Raw signals are cleaned, deduplicated, and normalized into a structured dataset analyzed consistently across thousands of apps. 2. **Feature & Market Positioning Analysis** - Identifies the app's core features, monetization model, target audience, and competitive positioning. Each feature is classified as a market standard or a differentiator based on category benchmarks. 3. **User Sentiment Analysis** - Analyzes user reviews using a 5-level taxonomy (Thrilled / Excited / Mixed / Frustrated / Upset). Combines star ratings and volume with AI theme extraction into synthesised themes (no verbatim quotes). 4. **Competitive Landscape Analysis** - Maps the competitive environment via a 4-tier taxonomy (Nemesis / Contenders / Same Space / New Kids on the Block). Prioritizes same sub-genre over broad category. 5. **Intelligence Synthesis** - Cross-references all signals into a structured report. Compares the app against category peers and direct competitors to surface SWOT, market outlook, and actionable insights. - **Confidence Score:** 0.85/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality) - **Reviews Analyzed:** 394 - **Data Sources:** user reviews, developer website, company about page, App Store metadata - **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform - **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence. - **Report Age:** 18 days since last refresh --- © 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/apps/soda-make-new-friends) Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.