Loopt Brings Social Networking App To Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7 devices began to hit retail stores in America this week, and we suspect that the flood of applications will follow shortly. Just as the Apple App Store and Android Market blossomed shortly after phones began to fall into the hands of end-users, the Windows Phone 7 app store should also begin to grow in due time.


But there's one flagship app that you won't have to wait for: Loopt. This is a hugely popular social networking/location-based app on other mobile platforms, and now the company is announcing that the Loopt app will also be available for Windows Phone 7. Even better, this version isn't just a straight port, it's a tweaked version that takes advantage of certain WP7 features that aren't available on other platforms.


With this application, people can instantly see what’s going on around you, right now, and connect with friends face-to-face. Without even opening Loopt, the Windows Phone Live Tiles constantly update with friends’ locations, comments and “Pings.” It may seem like a privacy invasion to some, but if it's your family you're watching, it's definitely a great app to have. Did we mention that's free and available now? If you picked up a WP7 handset already, give this a download and see how it works out for you.

 Loopt Hits the Windows® Phone Marketplace

Location-Based Social Application Takes Hold of Windows® Phone 7’s On-the-Fly Updates, Making It Simple to Connect with Friends While Out and About

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Loopt, the mobile connection to people and places around you, today announced it has launched Loopt in the Windows® Phone Marketplace. This version of Loopt was specifically designed to take full advantage of Windows Phone 7’s unique user experience.

    “The Windows Phone 7 Loopt app is distinctly different from any version we’ve made”

With this application, people can instantly see what’s going on around you, right now, and connect with friends face-to-face. Without even opening Loopt, the Windows® Phone Live Tiles constantly update with friends’ locations, comments and “Pings.” Loopt has a unique ability to bring out the unexpected – like uncovering the people you know and popular places around you – creating social serendipity.

Features of the Windows Phone 7 Loopt app include:

    * Social map - See where your friends are right now on a map; discover places your friends like to visit.
    * Updates and photos - Quickly share your updates with friends, and optionally include photos with your updates. Also, check out friends’ photos and places they’ve been, and view their updates as they move around town.
    * Ping friends - Instead of going through the hassle of sending mass “Where are you?” text message, have friends connect with you on Loopt and “Ping” them when you want to meet up. When they respond (with a “Pong”), your map will light up with friends’ locations and updates. In less than a minute, you find out where your friends are, and you can arrange to get together.
    * Privacy controls - Only share your location with the people you want, when you want. Privacy is a fundamental design and functional priority for Loopt.

“The Windows Phone 7 Loopt app is distinctly different from any version we’ve made,” said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of Loopt. “Microsoft has created a smartphone experience that lets people get out of their phones and back to their lives. Loopt is all about using your phone as a tool to get out, find friends and socialize, and with this phone, Microsoft has opened up a new window into that valuable, social information.”

“Windows Phone 7 is backed by a rich developer ecosystem that is creating a variety of quality apps and games that take advantage of the phone’s unique features and design,” said Todd Brix, senior director, Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft Corp. “Loopt is a great example of the kind of rich applications that people will find on Windows Phone Marketplace to get the most out of their phone,” he continued.