Company Tries No-Face Dating ‘Social Experiment’—and You Can Send Pics

In an experiment to reimagine how New Yorkers connect, a pop-up event in the city is asking people to put the selfies aside.

The #BeInterestingChallenge, a pop-up event put together by Sophie and Eric Chang, the married couple behind friendship and dating app Huppily, challenges a selfie-dominated dating culture by focusing on what really makes people unique: their quirks, passions and stories— not their looks.

The pop-up invites attendees to submit non-selfie photos, showing something significant in their lives—whether it is their love of pets, hobbies or personal moments—without revealing their faces. These photos, along with a few details such as age and relationship status, are posted on a giant “Board of Interesting People,” offering a new way to connect that has nothing to do with physical appearance.

“Society and modern social media have created a very unhealthy situation where people feel that they have to live up to certain expectations, like attraction, credentials or an elite lifestyle, to be worthwhile,” Sophie said. “Our social experiment turns this on its head.”

At the event, participants fill out forms indicating which photos, and by extension, which people, they would like to connect with. After the weekend, Sophie and Eric’s team will handle the matchmaking behind the scenes. It is distanced dating with a focus on the little things.

Sophie and Eric are confident this approach works—because it is how they met.

“Bonding over little nuances like our love for hairless dogs and Halloween is what brought Sophie and I together, first as friends, then as partners in life since 2012,” Eric said.

The pop-up ties back to the core philosophy of Huppily, which started as a dating app but has since evolved into a space for both friendships and relationships.

Unlike traditional apps, Huppily bans the use of face photos through AI technology that blocks users from uploading selfies. The app’s goal is to combat dating app burnout, where rejection based on appearances can impact people’s confidence. Instead, Huppily focuses on self-love and deep connections.

“There are a number of reasons for dating app burnout, but we believe one big problem is that when you are forced to represent yourself as a series of selfies—and in the case of certain dating apps, that you went to Yale and work at JP Morgan—when you don’t make a connection, you can’t help but have a crisis of self-worth,” Sophie said.

“Huppily takes a self-love-oriented approach of educating our community that they are interesting and worthwhile just by being themselves.”

The weekend pop-up is just one part of the experience. The app also encourages users to participate in regular photo prompts that focus on gratitude and self-expression.

A recent prompt asked users, “What made you smile recently?” Sophie and Eric said a participant responded by sharing a photo of their experience attending the “Distant Worlds: Final Fantasy” orchestra, revealing a love for gaming and music—an honest glimpse into what brings them joy.

It remains to be seen how the social experiment will go over with New York City daters, but one thing seems likely: people may walk away from this dating experience feeling truly seen.

Huppily’s pop-up will take place at 12, St Marks Place, in New York City on September 27, 28 and 29.