A man from Bury has launched a new social media app designed to let users connect with friends on any website they are on.

Chatloop, founded by Andy Barlow, bridges the gap between brands and users by making it easier to share things people enjoy browsing.

The platform launched in December last year and has grown from having three to 11 permament employees in the past year.

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However, Chatloop has become one of only nine third-party browsers worldwide to hold the highly acclaimed Apple default browser status.

Other browsers awarded this title include Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox.

The accreditation follows a £2.1m seed funding round from private investors as Chatloop announces its official UK rollout following a year of record growth.

The funds raised will allow Chatloop to drive user numbers and increase engagement, build out the internal team, and continue its fundraising ambitions.

Mr Barlow, the firm's CEO, is an experienced technology developer and former co-founder of digital adoption platform AppLearn.

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He said: “Being awarded default browser status by Apple is a huge milestone for the Chatloop team, who have worked tirelessly for the last 10 months to ensure our app meets Apple’s stringent integration requirements.

“Our world class browser is faster than both Chrome and Safari and default browser status across Apple’s products means that billions of people across the world can now enjoy the benefits of Chatloop every time they go online.

“Apple’s endorsement and the generous backing of our investors will supercharge our mission to deliver a people-first web experience that works for everyone.”

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With Chatloop, there is no need to copy and paste links, switch between multiple apps, or spend time writing online reviews that get lost in the noise.

It uses Face ID to verify its users, meaning every loop created is written and seen by real people, addressing concerns among consumers that the everyday web experience cannot be trusted.

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