Group Messaging App onLoop Looks to Connect Users with Common Interests

Group messaging app onLoop has launched on iOS devices, with the goal of connecting users with friends and strangers through conversations about common interests, rather than limiting communication to those in a user’s existing contact list or social circle.

onLoop encourages users to join conversations, or loops, based on particular topics (think a web forum). Users can browse popular loops, or search for loops based on specific topics. Finally, a map view allows users to search for loops with topics or users closest to them. These conversations support sharing text, pictures and videos with others.

Users can create or join loops instantly, adding them to a personalized feed for easier browsing later on. Users aren’t required to join a loop to simply read the topic, but they must join if they’d like to add to the conversation themselves. Users can invite others to their loops via their contact list, or can leave a loop altogether when it’s no longer interesting.

In addition to open, public topics, users can create private groups and loops, password protect their chats, or set them to self-destruct after a period of time.

In a statement, AK Sands, CEO & co-founder of onLoop, commented on the app:

Our team has been working for the last year building an app which represents the future of open messaging. Platform after platform arrive with new features, but one issue always remains: the limitations of the social circle. With onLoop, discussion is finally organically discoverable — all while retaining any and all privacy settings. It’s the best of all worlds.

onLoop is available to download for free on the iTunes App Store, and is expected to launch on Android March 27. Users looking for a similar experience can find one in Bindle, another group chat app, which allows users to search for conversation topics based on hashtags.