A lot of you are probably wondering why we rebuilt Couchsurfing in the first place.
And honestly, we take that as a compliment.
It means a lot of the problems with the old app and website weren’t obvious to you, even though behind the scenes they were becoming impossible for us to manage, let alone evolve. Couchsurfing has created millions of connections across almost every country on Earth, but the old platform was limiting what we could build, how fast we could move, and where we could take this community next.
So we built a new one.
Now look, we know there are some kinks right now. Growing pains as we like to call them. But weirdly, that’s also a good sign. The response in the first 24 hours was bigger than even we expected. A huge wave of people came back to Couchsurfing all at once. And yeah, that has caused some speed, stability, and membership payment issues that we are actively fixing (make sure you’re on the latest version of the mobile app).
The difference now is that this platform was built from the ground up with modern infrastructure and incredibly talented and mission-driven engineering, product, design, and support teams. This means that issues that used to take months to fix can now take days. Sometimes hours.
And yes, the site looks different. That’s intentional too.
The old platform was designed through the lens of 2012. Be honest… do you remember 2012? Exactly. We all needed a little glow up.
But this wasn’t just about making things prettier. We wanted profiles to actually feel like people again. When you’re staying with someone or inviting them into your home, the important stuff isn’t just an essay they write about themself and where they’re from. It’s their entire vibe. Are they outdoorsy? Quiet? Chaotic? Early riser? Social? Cool with smoking? The little things matter.
We also built this around how people actually use Couchsurfing. Not how we imagined they used it.
We studied everything:
How many and the types of photos people engage with on a profile..
How much time is spent reviewing profiles.
What profile information is important to members.
What helps people decide that they want to meet someone.
And dozens of other things.
We redesigned the experience around real behavior, not assumptions. Simply put, we provided a way for people to better contextualize themselves to others.
And beyond the design, this thing is built strong.
We’re investing in this for the long term. This isn’t some cosmetic refresh. This is the foundation for the next era of Couchsurfing. Step one of many. We are nowhere near finished. In all ways, this is just the beginning.
Did we remove some features? Sure. But in every case, either people weren’t really using them, or we found a better way to build the same functionality into the experience.
For example:
We removed “Last Login” because the search algorithm now automatically prioritizes active members first. That assumption should’ve always been true. Now it is. But we also want to surface members when there are strong reasons to connect (for instance, if you share multiple friends in common, have shared interests, or have been recently active. Along with many other characteristics). Your engagement with the community will determine how the platform dynamically behaves, and it will create a personalized experience for each of you.
People wanted Hangouts to be more location-based, so now there’s a map. You can see who’s nearby without revealing anyone’s exact location. Your blue dot shows you exactly where you are, but other people only see a general area. Safety matters.
And yes, dark mode. Because it was requested over and over again. We love light mode too. As soon as the platform stabilizes, it’s high on the list of things we will implement. The difference now is we can move way faster than we ever could before.
Also: every single profile was migrated. All of them. And there were… a lot. If you can’t find yours, there’s a good chance you’re either using a different email or getting tripped up by the new onboarding flow, which everyone goes through now. Existing members included. Be sure to log in with the email used to create your original account, complete the onboarding, and check again. If something still looks off, support will help get you sorted. Reach out here.
We know change takes a minute to settle into. And we will be fixing things like allowing people to edit their photos for this new unique display format. Just give us a couple of weeks.
We genuinely know what was built is leagues ahead of where we were and a foundation for some exciting things to come. The way people travel, connect, meet, and experience Couchsurfing is evolving. And we know it’ll take a little getting used to.
But we know you’re going to love where this is headed.
And we’re really happy you’re here for the ride.
The Couchsurfing Team