Loops

Loops is a free and open-source short-form online video platform positioned as an "ethical alternative to commercial short-video sharing platforms" and a privacy-oriented alternative to TikTok. It was announced in March 2024 by developer Daniel Supernault, and its flagship instance, Loops.video, launched on October 10, 2024, together with a beta. In late 2024 the platform began rolling out through TestFlight for iOS and as a side-loadable APK for Android; the app reached the iOS App Store on January 30, 2026, after several months in TestFlight. The product uses a vertical swipe short-video feed like most short-form video platforms. Videos can run up to 60 seconds, though later updates introduced support for longer videos. Users upload and capture videos called "loops" through a "creator-first camera" that includes a caption editor and a dashboard for managing video interactions. Comments take the form of nested replies with a mentions feature, and the platform offers an "opt-in algorithmic For You feed." A Duets feature was added in 2026, letting creators duet on videos. Loops is part of the Fediverse: it joined on October 14, 2025, when ActivityPub support was added, and users on other Fediverse platforms such as Mastodon and Pixelfed can follow Loops accounts and view content. The platform states that it does not sell user data to third parties and does not train AI with user data, and it relies on a human-led moderation system based on user "trust scores" rather than purely algorithmic filtering. Loops is funded by community donations through Patreon, Liberapay, Ko-fi and a successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2025. It states it will not "accept venture capital or investment that compromises independence" and will not add advertisements, though it accepts sponsorships from users and companies. As of March 2026 the network comprised 31 servers, 40.8K accounts and 4.1K monthly active users — a small but growing federated alternative in the short-video space.

Loops was announced in March 2024 by Daniel Supernault, who positioned it as an "ethical alternative to commercial short-video sharing platforms." The flagship instance, Loops.video, launched on October 10, 2024, together with a beta. In late 2024 the platform began its rollout via TestFlight for iOS and as a side-loadable APK for Android users, giving early adopters access before a general app-store release. A defining step came on October 14, 2025, when ActivityPub support was added and Loops joined the Fediverse, allowing users on other federated platforms such as Mastodon and Pixelfed to follow Loops accounts and view content. On January 30, 2026, the Loops app launched on the iOS App Store after being in TestFlight for several months. A Duets feature was added in 2026, allowing creators to duet on videos. Funding has come from the community rather than venture capital: donations through Patreon, Liberapay and Ko-fi, plus a successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2025. Loops states it will not "accept venture capital or investment that compromises independence" and will not add advertisements, while accepting sponsorships from users and companies. As of March 2026 the network had 31 servers, 40.8K accounts and 4.1K monthly active users.

• Loops announced by Daniel Supernault

• Loops.video flagship instance launched with a beta

• Rollout began via TestFlight for iOS and side-loadable APK for Android

• Successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2025

• ActivityPub support added; Loops joined the Fediverse

• Loops app launched on the iOS App Store

• Duets feature added

Ethical, privacy-oriented, open-source and community-funded alternative to commercial short-video platforms such as TikTok; federated via ActivityPub.

• Loops short-form video platform

  Vertical swipe short-video feed with videos up to 60 seconds (longer supported in later updates).

• Creator-first camera

  In-app capture tool with caption editor and a dashboard for managing video interactions.

• Opt-in algorithmic For You feed

  Recommendation feed that users opt into.

• Duets

  Feature added in 2026 allowing creators to duet on videos.

• Nested reply comments with mentions

  Comment system using nested replies and a mentions feature.

1. 1Loops (app) — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org