Skip to main content

Send that special someone your still-beating heart this Valentine’s Day

rebtel rebeatValentine’s Day is here and if you haven’t dropped by a Hallmark yet and need a last-minute expression of your love, you can hand them your still-beating heart. Sort of – via app, at least. 

By syncing your heartbeat with the app (or at least attempting to), Rebtel’s Re:Beat visually thuds to mimic your own heart, which you’re sending digitally of course. If the developer name rings a bell, that’s because it’s the same Swedish company that brought you the free mobile calling app that’s taking on Skype to bring its users free and cheap calls.

rebtel rebeat
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Re:Beat has two ways that let you sync your heartbeat. You can elect to hold your finger over the camera and wait as the app attempts to detect your pulse – but good luck. That part of the app needs a serious tune up as you’ll end up holding your finger there forever. And ever. Just give up, really, there’s not enough patience in this world. The other way to gauge your heartbeat is to “sync” the beats manually. If you decide on this method, which we’d strongly recommend, you’re given 10 seconds to tap your finger away with every heartbeat. Of course this is rather inaccurate, but consider it the lesser of two evils.

Once you’ve passed the stage of figuring out your heartbeat, you can send it via SMS, or share it via email, Facebook, or Twitter. If you choose text, the app asks you to type your name and choose a greeting. There’s a list of five different, rather cheesy, greetings – like “My heart beats for you,” “I’m just a heartbeat away,” “Thinking about you,” and… you get the idea. 

Once the heartbeat is sent, the recipient receives a URL, and it gives them the option to view the heartbeat by downloading the app first, or by showing it pumping in the browser. You can check out an example of what the recipient sees here.

A Rebtel spokesperson says that Re:Beat is “far more personal than card, a box of chocolates or even roses,” but we suggest having one of those options on hand as well because… well, this might scare the living bejesus out of someone. But if it’s come to this, the app is available in both the Google Play and iOS App Store. Congratulations: the creepiest, digital way to say “I love you” is ready and waiting for download. 

Editors' Recommendations

Francis Bea
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Francis got his first taste of the tech industry in a failed attempt at a startup during his time as a student at the…
Amazon Kindle still at its cheapest-ever price following Memorial Day
two month free amazon kindle unlimited subscription trial best ebook apps 768x768

Feel like you missed out on all the best Memorial Day sales? Don't worry. There's still time to grab an Amazon Kindle at the lowest price it's ever been. Right now, you can snap one up for only $60. That's $30 off the usual price!

The Amazon Kindle is a device you've probably already heard a lot about. It's the ebook reader that sparked a revolution in how we consume literature and non-fiction, with plenty of competitors trying to rival the simplicity of the Kindle. Nothing can beat it though. It's easily the best way to read a book outside of, well, reading a book.

Read more
Google Pixel 8a vs. OnePlus 12R: Which $500 phone should you buy?
Google Pixel 8a versus OnePlus 12R.

Google Pixel 8a (left) and OnePlus 12R Google and OnePlus

The Google Pixel 8a is in incredible and intriguing phone for its price. It runs much of the same hardware as the slightly more expensive Pixel 8 and offers a similar experience with onboard AI features. It is also the only $500 phone to get seven years of software updates.

Read more
The best free apps for international calling in 2024
An iPhone on a colorful chair showing phone buttons.

If you’re planning to travel overseas and need to make a phone call back home, it’s important to figure out the best way to do so before you leave. While your cell phone provider can assist you, using its services out of network will probably result in additional charges. Instead, consider using international calling apps designed for iPhone or Android devices, such as the iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24.

Typically powered by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), these apps use an internet connection instead of traditional phone networks. While many of these apps do have a cost associated with them, others do not.

Read more