SAPIEN
The Last
Human Network.
Sapien is a social media iOS app built exclusively for verified humans. No algorithms manipulating your attention. No bots flooding your feed. No fake accounts. Every human here is verified. That's what makes this space worth protecting.
Provably Human
A place where every account is a real person, every post is unfiltered, and you own your feed.
Every user is verified
New users verify their identity with a government-issued ID via Stripe Identity. This keeps bots, fake accounts, and bad actors out of the network entirely. One person, one account.
Boosts, not likes
Every interaction on Sapien — Boosts, comments, connections — comes from a verified person. When you Boost a post, there's a real human behind it. No vanity metrics. Just real engagement from real Humans.
No algorithm. Ever.
Your feed is reverse chronological — newest first. No algorithm deciding what you see, no engagement bait, no manipulation. You own your feed, and it shows content in the order it was posted.
Posts with lifespans
Every post has a duration you choose: 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, or Forever. No separate "stories" vs "posts" — just one unified content type that respects time.
Humans, not followers
Your profile shows your Humans — the real people in your circle. No follower/following vanity split. Plus a Lifetime stat tracking every human who's ever been in your orbit.
Three formats, one post type
Photos — images with optional captions. Loops — short looping videos. Thoughts — text-only posts with gradient backgrounds, 280 characters max.
Shield
Two layers keep this space real. Both are required to post.
The trust system
Sapien requires two things before you can post, comment, Boost, or connect:
01 — ID Verification
A one-time check that proves you're human. Powered by Stripe Identity. We store your verification result, not your documents.
02 — Shield
$2/mo or $20/yr — makes bot farms impossible. Billed by Apple as an auto-renewing subscription. Acts as a firewall against bot farms. Cancel anytime.
Together, these two layers ensure every active participant is a real, invested human. No free throwaway accounts, no mass bot registrations, no fake engagement.
Why charge for Shield?
The subscription cost isn't about revenue — it's about trust. At $2/month, creating a single bot account costs $24/year. Creating a bot farm of 1,000 accounts costs $24,000/year. Combined with ID verification, this makes Sapien economically impractical for bad actors to manipulate at scale.
Identity Verification
Powered by Stripe Identity. Every user must prove they're a real person before they can participate.
How verification works
During onboarding, every new Sapien user goes through a multi-step identity verification process. This is not optional — it's the foundation of the entire network.
1. Account creation — Sign up with Apple, Google, or email. Confirm you are at least 16 years old and choose a permanent username.
2. Shield activation — Subscribe to Shield ($2/mo or $20/yr) to unlock identity verification and the ability to post, comment, Boost, and connect.
3. ID verification — A quick ID check via Stripe Identity. Scan a government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc.). Stripe verifies the document is authentic and matches a live selfie. It only takes a minute.
Why Stripe Identity?
Stripe Identity provides bank-grade document verification with liveness detection. It confirms the person signing up is who they claim to be — preventing duplicate accounts, fake identities, and bot registrations. Sapien stores only the verification status and metadata, not the ID documents themselves.
Government ID scan
Users scan their driver's license, passport, or national ID card. Stripe Identity validates the document is real and not tampered with.
Live selfie match
A real-time selfie is compared against the photo ID to confirm the person holding the phone is the document owner. Prevents impersonation.
One person, one account
Duplicate detection ensures each verified identity maps to exactly one Sapien account. No alt accounts, no sockpuppets, no manipulation.
How it works
From sign-up to your first post in minutes.
Sign up
Create your account with Apple, Google, or email. Confirm your age (16+) and choose a permanent username.
Activate Shield
Subscribe to Shield ($2/mo or $20/yr) to unlock full access. Then verify your identity via Stripe — takes about 60 seconds.
Share with your Circle
Post Photos, Loops, or Thoughts. Choose who sees them (Inner Circle, Outer Circle, or Public) and how long they last.
Circles
Control who sees what with three levels of visibility.
Inner Circle
Your closest people. Mutual connections — both of you follow each other. The most private audience for your most personal content.
Outer Circle
Your followers. One-way connections who requested to follow you. They see your broader posts but not your Inner Circle content.
Public
Visible to everyone on Sapien. Public posts appear in the Explore feed, tagged with your city. Great for reaching beyond your circle.
You decide who sees every post
When creating a post, you choose the audience: Inner Circle (mutuals only), Outer Circle (your followers), or Public (everyone on Sapien). You're always in control.
Your profile shows a single number — your total Humans — the real people in your circle. Plus a Lifetime count of every human who's ever been connected to you.
To connect with someone, you send a Request. Once accepted, they're in your Outer Circle. If they follow you back, you're in each other's Inner Circle.
Your feed, your way
Reverse chronological. No algorithm. Newest posts first.
Newest first, always
Your Following feed shows posts from your circle in reverse chronological order. No algorithm deciding what's "relevant" — just what's new. Sapien notifies you when real humans interact with your posts, not when an algorithm wants your attention back.
Explore
Discover public posts from verified humans across Sapien. Browse by city, time of day, and format. A window into the broader community — no algorithmic curation.
Feed + Loops
Toggle between two formats: Feed (photos, thoughts, and videos together) and Loops (short looping videos only). Each has a Following and Explore scope.
Temporal posts
Content that respects the passage of time. No infinite scroll of permanent noise.
Choose your lifespan
1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, or Forever. Keep the keepers. Let the rest fade naturally. You can also change your mind later — "Keep Forever" turns a temporary post permanent.
No stories vs posts divide
Every piece of content on Sapien is the same thing: a post with a duration and an audience. No separate stories, reels, or feeds. One timeline, one format system.
Loops
Short looping videos captured directly in-app. Auto-play and loop endlessly. A modern take on the original Vine format.
One post type. Three formats.
Every post on Sapien is the same: a piece of content with a duration and an audience. No stories vs. posts vs. reels distinction.
Photos — Capture or upload images with optional captions (200 characters max).
Loops — Short looping videos captured directly in the app's built-in camera.
Thoughts — Text-only posts with gradient backgrounds. 280 characters max. Say what's on your mind without needing an image.