A Completely Biased Review of the Mobile App, Path
As you may know, I'm a pretty big fan of the app, Path. Not only do I use it more than any other app on my phone, but my husband has had a little something to do with it as well ;) While most of our tech posts here on Brit + Co. are completely unbiased, let's just be clear about where I'm coming from on this one. However, I'll spare you the overly enthusiastic gushing and instead keep it short and sweet. Without further ado, here's what's really awesome about Path and its newest app release:
Wait…what is Path?
Path is a modern journal for your mobile phone, letting you share your personal moments with your closest friends and family. Sound like just another social network? It's not. You can literally only connect with up to 150 people, and most users generally have much fewer, making it all about the people who truly matter to you.
Why do I personally love Path?
Without getting too far into the aforementioned "gushing," all I will say is this: I have never felt closer to my family as I have since I started using Path. It's the way that my parents, siblings, and best friends stay connected, even while we're thousands of miles apart. I get to take a peek into people's more personal lives that they would never share on Facebook or Twitter, and that's really special to me.
What do I share on Path?
Not going to lie — my Path feed is 80% Pixel photos. The other 20% generally includes check-ins with friends, date nights, new experiences, epic food, and sneak peeks into the stuff we're doing here at Brit + Co :)
What's new with Path 2.5?
As of late last night, Path released a few awesome updates, including: more awesome photos and videos (bigger, more filters, better editing tools, and quicker camera snaps), the ability to share which books you're reading or movies you're watching, and a "nudge" feature which lets YOU ask a friend to post something, an interesting change of pace from other social networks.
What do I love most about the new release?
Cards on the table, I was able to test out the new app prior to its official release and have been using it for a few weeks now. While seeing what my friends are reading and watching is pretty cool, I have to admit that I'm most obsessed with the bigger photos, new lenses (OMG I LOVE THE HOLGA LENS) and camera editing tools. This new suite of tools will seriously make anyone feel like they are a pro photographer…or a pro model. And they're free, too, which is always a plus. I haven't yet been fully able to play with the "nudge" feature since it wasn't working broadly within the beta, but I'm most excited to start nudging my friends and family to post photos or text when they check in places or arrive in new locations.
If I could change one thing about Path, what would it be?
While I am actually tapped out at 150 friends right now, I do wish that more of my closest friends would use it and use it frequently. I have a few close girlfriends from growing up whom I haven't gotten to check in with as often as I'd like. Seeing their fleeting Facebook updates doesn't really tell me what is truly happening in their lives. Don't get me wrong, nothing beats a good face-to-face chat, but Path is the second best thing to that :) Ladies, if you're reading this right now… join and start posting!
Anything else to add? (Do you like how I'm interviewing myself?)
As a Path groupie, I can honestly tell you that the 50+ employees working there are absolutely phenomenal people. Ironically, it's been through Path that I've been given a glimpse into their lives as they've grown up over the past two years. The people that work at Path care deeply about its users, its quality, and its mission. Many of them have even been sleeping at the office lately as they've been tackling growth issues and preparing for this launch! I don't think the hard-working individuals at tech companies get called out often enough, but these people should. They truly fit my favorite motto: Live what you love, and you will love what you do.
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