String bikinis? Check. Extra sunscreen? Check. Walls of cameras so millions of Americans can watch your spicy summer flings happen in real time? Check. Love Island USA, where contestants make out, couple up, and fight while lounging around a neon-colored villa in swimwear, is currently nearing the “climax” of its eighth season. This summer’s biggest bombshell? The Love Island USA app, where levels of viewer engagement are so high that it crashed during the first vote.

Fans of the real-time dating show relish controlling the action through their in-app votes, helping decide who couples up and who gets dumped. Fan votes happen around five times during each season. The votes let users pick their favorite couple, which exiled cast members they think should be brought back, and eventually cast a vote for which Islander pair should win the popularity contest and $100,000. Earlier in this season, for example, the duos who received the fewest votes from viewers for 'favorite couple' were on the chopping block to be booted off the show.

The Love Island USA app now has more than 10 million unique users, the show’s producers tell WIRED. Since this season’s premier in June, it has hit the number one spot in the iOS App Store's Entertainment category nine times—a category it shares with giants like Netflix and TikTok—according to app analytics company Apptopia.

Love Island USA producers see the app as a critical component to keeping fans engaged, whether it's through official votes or other polls. “More than anything, it’s reinforced for us how passionate this fan base is and how eager they are to make their voices heard,” says executive producer Bernie Schaeffer.

The team has a road map before each season starts, in terms of fan vote moments. Even so, they are always ready to pivot and evolve that plan based on the ensuing drama as well as how fans are reacting on social media.