250,000 Users and Major Update: Rooms iOS app becomes an even more powerful 3D design tool

Popular 3D design app Rooms receives a significant update, coinciding with reaching a quarter-million users. The update focuses on content discovery and user experience improvements.

250,000 Users and Major Update: Rooms iOS app becomes an even more powerful 3D design tool
image: techcrunch.com

Rooms, a 3D interior design app that also bills itself as a "cozy game," has received a major update that marks its growing popularity. The number of Rooms users has reached 250,000, which is a testament to the increasing interest in tools for creating and personalizing virtual spaces.

image: techcrunch.com

Rooms 2.0 introduces a significant update designed to improve user experience. A key feature is the addition of Trending feeds on the home screen, which highlight popular creators and their most well-received contributions. These feeds leverage algorithms to curate content, ensuring users see the most engaging rooms.

Furthermore, the update expands discovery options with over a dozen new categories. Users can now browse through specific themes like "Games," "Art," "Fantasy," "Nature," and "Weird." Additionally, a "Tribute" category showcases rooms inspired by popular intellectual properties (IPs) such as Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, and Hello Kitty.

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The update extends discovery beyond the home screen with a revamped Explore page. This page offers a variety of exploration methods, including user profiles, trending games, and all-time favorite rooms.

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Rooms 2.0 Further Enhances Discovery with Honeycomb View

Complementing the expanded categorization and curation features, Rooms 2.0 introduces "Honeycomb View." This innovative browsing method utilizes a hexagonal grid layout, enabling users to simultaneously view a multitude of rooms. Users can seamlessly navigate between these rooms by tapping individual entries, while zoom functionality allows for focused examination of specific designs or a broader overview of the selection.

image: techcrunch.com

Rooms 2.0 Empowers Creators with Enhanced Tracking and Anti-Copying Measures

Rooms 2.0 prioritizes the creator experience by introducing a dedicated Activity tab. This tab empowers creators to track key metrics such as likes, comments, and remixes (instances where their room was used as a template). Additionally, each room now displays an icon indicating its total number of remixes, providing creators with immediate insight into their work's influence.

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image: twitter.com

Furthermore, the update strengthens copyright protection within the Remix feature. The system has been enhanced to detect rooms that closely resemble existing designs, potentially deterring users from replicating intricate creations. This aligns with data from the company, which suggests a significant investment of time by users, with 1 in 8 users reportedly spending over two hours editing their rooms.

Rooms 2.0 Delivers Performance Enhancements and Streamlined Web Integration

Rooms 2.0 introduces significant performance optimizations, particularly for users creating intricate rooms. The update leverages a mesh optimization technique, which reduces the complexity of 3D objects. This technical improvement translates to rendering speeds up to 20 times faster for larger rooms.

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While the majority of content creation functionalities are currently focused on the iOS app, Rooms 2.0 expands the user experience across platforms. The update brings the new categorization system and performance enhancements to the web version, ensuring a more streamlined experience for all users.

The Rooms 2.0 update signifies the platform's commitment to continuous improvement. Looking ahead, the development team is exploring the potential of AI-powered tools to further simplify the in-app coding process for users. This focus on user experience suggests a dedication to empowering both established creators and newcomers within the Rooms community.