Amino (app)

In 2012, Wang and Anderson came up with the idea for a convention-like community while attending an anime convention in Boston, Massachusetts.{{cite web|last=Varshney|first=Apekshita|date=August 23, 2018|title=Amino App Communities Is Where Real Fandom Is|url=https://techweek.com/amino-apps-newyork-social-startup/|access-date=June 19, 2019|website=Techweek}} Later that year, they would release two apps revolving around K-pop and photography that allowed fans of those subjects to chat freely.

In 2012, Amino was officially released.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Amino received 1.65 million dollars of seed funding in 2014, primarily from Union Ventures. Some additional seed investors include Google Ventures, SV Angel, Box Group, and other interested parties.

By July 2014, Amino's apps were downloaded 500,000 times.{{Cite web|title=Amino Raises $1.65M To Replace Old-School Forums With Mobile Communities|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/07/08/amino-seed-funding/|access-date=August 17, 2021|website=TechCrunch|date=July 8, 2014 |language=en-US}} Though only having 15 communities at that time, Amino eventually grew to have 41 communities in September 2015.{{Cite web|title=Amino Raises $6.5M To Build Mobile Communities|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/24/amino-series-a/|access-date=August 17, 2021|website=TechCrunch|date=September 24, 2015 |language=en-US}} Amino's apps had been downloaded 13 million times by July 2016.{{Cite web|title=This Under-the-Radar Social Network for Nerds Just Raised $19 Million|url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/under-radar-social-network-nerds-140106135.html|access-date=August 18, 2021|website=finance.yahoo.com|language=en-US}} Fandoms had migrated from websites like Facebook and Reddit to Amino, partly because of the app's mobile-native experience.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}

Before 2016, when a user wanted to join a new Amino, they had to download another app for the Amino they wanted to join. In 2016, Amino Apps launched a centralized portal that hosted every Amino community in one app, meaning users no longer had to download multiple apps.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/amino-apps-anonymity/|title=Amino Apps Makes the Case for Anonymity Online|last=Matsakis|first=Louise|date=February 13, 2018|magazine=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast}}

In July of the same year, ACM, an app that allowed users to create their own communities, was launched.{{Cite web|last=Popper|first=Ben|date=July 12, 2016|title=This is what Reddit would look like if it was born in the mobile era|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/7/12/12148622/amino-app-social-network-communities-reddit-wiki|access-date=August 17, 2021|website=The Verge|language=en}} This resulted in the number of communities on Amino skyrocketing to over 2.5 million as of June 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/12/amino-series-c/|title=Amino raises $45M to bring fan communities to smartphones|last=Ha|first=Anthony|date=June 12, 2018|website=TechCrunch|publisher=Verizon Media|access-date=June 19, 2019}}

The main feature of Amino is communities dedicated to a certain topic that users can join. Users can also chat with other members of a community in three ways, text, voice, or screening room, which allows users to watch videos together while voice chatting.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/7/12/12148622/amino-app-social-network-communities-reddit-wiki|title=This is what Reddit would look like if it was born in the mobile era|last=Popper|first=Ben|date=July 12, 2016|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=June 20, 2019}} Other features include polls, blog posts, image posts, wiki entries, stories, and quizzes. In some cases, posts that are very well-made and have been noticed by a community's administration will end up receiving a feature, making it appear on the front page along with other featured content.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/facebook-alternatives/|title=The 8 Best Social Media Alternatives to Facebook|last=Tracy|first=Phillip|date=March 31, 2018|website=The Daily Dot|access-date=June 20, 2019}}

In 2018, a premium membership option called Amino+ was added. Amino+ comes with additional features such as exclusive stickers, the ability to make stickers, custom chat bubbles, high resolution images, and other perks.{{Cite web|title=What is Amino+?|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001764414-What-is-Amino-|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} Membership can now only be purchased with money. Amino coins can be purchased or earned through enabling ads, watching ad videos, completing activities on the Offer Wall, and playing Lucky Draw when checking in, but are of little use due to the users not being able to buy Amino+ by amino coins anymore.{{Cite web|title=Coins|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009101154-Coins|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} Members can give and receive coins through props.{{Cite web|title=Give Props|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007426393-Give-Props|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}}

In 2019, Amino introduced six original short-form animated series, labelled "Amino Originals," produced by independent artists from across the internet.{{cite web |title=Amino Originals |url=https://aminoapps.com/c/aminooriginals/info/ |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Meet the Artists |url=https://aminoapps.com/c/aminooriginals/page/blog/meet-the-artists/bgKo_ebFoumneGMxk46rebpV6JzKg3xag4fg |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}} ATJ's "Little Red," a re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood, premiered on November 15, 2019.{{cite web |title=Little Red |url=https://aminoapps.com/u/LittleRedAmino |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}} "Little Red" was joined by five other shows in late December. Sophie Feher's "The Reef," a comedy featuring an aspiring marine biologist meeting a merman, premiered on December 27 alongside "Princely," an LGBT fairy tale created by Matt Bruneau-Richardson of Tiny Siren Animation.{{cite web |title=The Reef |url=https://aminoapps.com/u/TheReefAmino |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Princely |url=http://aminoapps.com/u/PrincelyAmino |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}}{{cite web |title="Princely," an Amino Original, premieres December 27th |url=https://www.tinysiren.com/single-post/2019/12/14/Princely-an-Amino-Original-premieres-December-20th |website=Tiny Siren Animation |accessdate=June 29, 2020}} "Spaced Out," an alien abduction comedy by Michael Jae, and YouTuber Alex Clark's "Wyndvania II" premiered on December 28.{{cite web |title=Spaced Out |url=https://aminoapps.com/u/SpacedOutAmino |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Wyndvania |url=https://aminoapps.com/u/WyndvaniaAmino |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}} Mysie Pereira's fairy tale "Turned to Stone" and Marcin Pawlowski's "Stranded" premiered on December 29, 2019.{{cite web |title=Turned to Stone |url=https://aminoapps.com/u/turnedtostoneamino |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Stranded |url=https://aminoapps.com/u/StrandedAmino |website=Amino Apps |accessdate=June 29, 2020}}

On each community, there are two types of staff members, these being ‘Leader’ and ‘Curator.’ Leaders are higher rank than curators. Curators are usually the ones who feature posts, or post important announcements for users to see.{{Cite web|title=Leaders vs. Curators|url=http://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002397353|access-date=September 15, 2020|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}}

Curators are able to disable a post or public chat, delete comments or chat threads, manage featured content, manage posts in topic categories, and approve Wiki entries.

Leaders have more power than curators. In addition to curator powers, leaders can submit a community to be listed, change the Amino's features, change navigation, alter the community appearance, change the Amino's privacy settings, manage the Amino's join requests, send invites, appoint or demote Curators, strike or ban members, manage flagged content, change users' custom titles, manage topics and wiki categories, and create broadcasts (notifications sent for posts).

One leader will have the status of agent. An agent is the primary leader of a community; the person who created the community is automatically agent.{{Cite web|title=First Steps|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002408034-First-Steps|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} An agent has the ability to delete their community as long as it is not too large or too active.{{Cite web|title=Deleting a Community|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026682773-Deleting-a-Community-|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} An agent can appoint and remove both leaders and curators.{{Cite web|title=Adding Leaders and Curators|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026519934-Adding-Leaders-and-Curators|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} Agent status can be transferred voluntarily to another leader, curator, or community member.{{Cite web|title=Transferring Agent Status|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026683713-Transferring-Agent-Status|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} If an agent is inactive, Team Amino may assist in transferring agent status.

Otherwise known as ACM, this application is what users use to create and manage their own community in Amino.{{Cite web|title=Amino Community Manager - ACM - Apps on Google Play|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.narvii.amino.manager&hl=en_US&gl=US|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=play.google.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Downloading ACM|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009487294-Downloading-ACM|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} This app allows moderators to customize a community's theme, icon, and categories. ACM also allows moderation to customize community descriptions, pick leaders, change language settings, create a tagline for the community, change the home page lay out, alter the side navigation menu, and more.{{Cite web|title=Community Navigation|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026518894-Community-Navigation|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=General Settings|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026518934-General-Settings|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} Unlisted communities are able to change their community's title and Amino ID, but this is not an option once a community is listed. A leader can use ACM to submit a request for their community to be listed on the explore page, after which the community will be reviewed by Team Amino for approval.{{Cite web|title=Listing Your Community|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002397313-Listing-Your-Community|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} Communities can be deleted on ACM, but only by the agent of that community.

Amino has a set of guidelines that all communities must comply with. Amino does not allow harassment or hate, spam or self-promotion (including promotion of one's own Amino community), sexual/NSFW content*, self harm, real graphic/gross content (fictional content is generally acceptable), unsafe/illegal content, or content that violates copyright.{{Cite web|title=Community Guidelines|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/360022679554-Community-Guidelines|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} Communities are allowed to have additional rules so long as they do not violate Amino's rules. In addition to Amino's rules, users are required to be at least 13 years of age in the U.S. and 16 years of age in European Union countries.{{Cite web|title=Age Requirement|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003354453-Age-Requirement|access-date=August 18, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} While sexual imagery is not allowed in any community and text based sexual content is not allowed in public areas, some private communities are allowed to discuss sexual themes. However, they are not exempt from Amino's rules on NSFW content.

If guidelines are broken, a leader may disable content or impose a warning, strike, or ban, depending on the severity of the infringement.{{Cite web|title=Amino Apps FAQs|url=https://www.comparably.com/companies/amino-apps/faqs|access-date=August 18, 2021|website=Comparably|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Moderation|url=https://support.aminoapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002405074-Moderation|access-date=August 18, 2021|website=Amino Help Center|language=en-US}} A warning is a message informing the user that they have violated a guideline and may face further punishment unless they change their behaviour. A strike will put the user in read-only mode for up to 24 hours; this mode prevents the user from posting, chatting, or interacting with posts in that community. A ban removes the user from the community. Team Amino can separately give strikes or bans across the entire platform.

{{Cite web |title=$ >[V8V88V8V88]_ {{!}} Indian Amino |url=https://aminoapps.com/c/indianamino/page/user/v8v88v8v88-tm-doyouknowdawae/g0Rq_zpQixfQPYM802bYq08PMPQKZB2P3bxT3 |access-date=2023-03-12 |website=Indian {{!}} aminoapps.com}}

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