Show IH: Hizzr - Anonymous messaging app that actually lets you chat back (and why we prioritized moderation over features)

Hey IH,

I'm one of the co-founders of Hizzr.com, an anonymous messaging app we launched this week on both iOS and Android, built out of Dubai.

The idea isn’t new. The execution is. You share your link. Someone sends you an anonymous message. Instead of it being a dead end like every other anonymous app, you can actually chat back. The sender stays anonymous the whole time. You never find out who they are unless they choose to tell you.

We built this in 4 months as a side project alongside full time jobs. Three co-founders, bootstrapped.

Why we built it:
NGL just got acquired after a $5M FTC fine for sending fake messages to its own users. Sendit is facing a DOJ lawsuit for the same reason. Sarahah got 300 million users and made almost no money because they never built monetization. Every anonymous app either died from fraud or died from lack of business model.

We think the category keeps coming back because the human need is real. People have things to say that they can't say with their name attached. We just wanted to build the version that's actually honest about what it is.

What makes it different:
Most anonymous apps are one-way. You get a message, feel a rush, and it ends there. We extended that moment into a real conversation. The sender stays hidden but the dialogue continues. That's the feature every competitor stopped short of building.

How we approached safety:
This was non-negotiable from day one. We've seen what happens when anonymous apps treat moderation as an afterthought. FTC fines, DOJ lawsuits, app store removals. We built AI powered moderation into the core of the product before we wrote a single line of UI code. Every message is screened in real time. Harmful content gets flagged before it reaches the recipient. We also have human review for edge cases and a straightforward reporting flow built into every conversation.

We're not naive. We know moderation in anonymous social is an ongoing battle not a solved problem. But we'd rather be slow and clean than fast and sued.

What we're trying to figure out:
Retention is our biggest unknown right now. Anonymous apps historically spike hard and drop off fast. We've built streaks, notifications, and a feed mechanic to create reasons to return but we genuinely don't know yet if it's enough.

Would love honest feedback on:
1.⁠ ⁠The cold start problem. How do you make the app feel alive for new users who haven't received any messages yet?
2.⁠ ⁠Monetization. We have regional pricing from $1.19/month (India) to $4.99/month (US). Does that feel right for this category?
3.⁠ ⁠Safety. We have AI moderation live from day one. What are we probably not thinking about?

Live on iOS and Android now.
hizzr.com