As the appetite for privacy-centered social media alternatives rises, a new player is entering the scene: Loops. This innovative short-form video app, created by Daniel Supernault—who is also behind Pixelfed, an alternative to Instagram—aims to replicate TikTok’s engaging video format within the fediverse. This week, Loops opened its doors for beta signups, inviting users to experience a platform that prioritizes community engagement over advertising and data mining.
Joining the Fediverse
Loops is designed to thrive within the fediverse, a decentralized social web that allows various platforms to connect through ActivityPub, a protocol facilitating user interaction across networks like Mastodon, Pixelfed, and PeerTube. Although Loops is not yet fully integrated with ActivityPub or open-source, these developments are in progress. Once completed, Loops users will be able to interact freely with users from other platforms, enhancing the sense of community and shared experience.
The fediverse is experiencing impressive growth, with over 11.6 million accounts and more than 1 million monthly active users. Mastodon currently holds about 65% of this activity, while platforms like Flipboard and Meta’s Threads are exploring ActivityPub integration. The arrival of Loops, focused on video content, adds a new dynamic to a primarily text-driven environment, appealing to users looking for alternatives to mainstream social media.
What to Expect from Loops
Loops will allow users to create and upload videos up to 60 seconds long, embracing the popular short-form video format. In the near future, features like adding soundtracks, remixing videos, pinning profile videos, and curated comment sections will be introduced. Although the platform currently lacks support for hashtags and mentions, a tagging system will help users categorize their content, promoting organization and creativity.
To ensure a high-quality experience, Loops will implement a trust score system for content moderation. New users or those with lower trust scores will have their videos reviewed before they go live, while trusted users can publish immediately. This system not only helps maintain quality but also enables automatic filtering of problematic comments, creating a safer environment for all users.
Commitment to Privacy and Community Funding
In contrast to many social media platforms that rely on venture capital, Loops is committed to a community-funded model. It will accept donations through platforms like Patreon and Open Collective to sustain its operations. Supernault has also secured a grant to support Loops during its initial year, reinforcing its dedication to user-driven development.
Human moderators will play a vital role in overseeing content, as Supernault has called for volunteers from the community. This approach aligns with Loops’ mission to create a respectful and engaging environment, moving away from the algorithm-based moderation common in traditional platforms. By involving community members in moderation, Loops fosters a sense of shared responsibility among users.
Getting Started with Loops
Although beta signups are now live, users may experience a delay in receiving access due to confirmation email processing. For iOS users, the app will first be available through Apple’s TestFlight program, while Android users can look forward to a side-loadable APK. While a web interface is planned for the future, it is not the current focus, as the team prioritizes user feedback to refine the app’s features.
Once integrated with ActivityPub, Loops will allow users from Mastodon and Pixelfed to follow and interact with Loops accounts. This capability highlights Loops’ commitment to fostering an interconnected, open social web where users can engage with their favorite platforms effortlessly.
