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Path loads up with Sprint for Galaxy S4, HTC One, Torque

The private social network looks to accelerate growth by preloading its app on select Sprint handsets.

Jennifer Van Grove Former Senior Writer / News
Jennifer Van Grove covered the social beat for CNET. She loves Boo the dog, CrossFit, and eating vegan. Her jokes are often in poor taste, but her articles are not.
Jennifer Van Grove
2 min read
Path

Private social network Path, fresh off hitting 10 million registered users, has struck a deal with Sprint that should help the 2-year-old company attract an even larger audience.

Path announced Wednesday that it has partnered with Sprint and that its application for private social networking will come preloaded on Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, and Torque devices.

The application will be featured inside Sprint's "Discover It" widget, as pictured right.

Path's allure is also its greatest obstacle. The company's mobile application specializes in a more intimate experience and limits its users to just 150 friends. The limitations are designed to encourage members to make Path a place where they can share their most private moments with their closest friends, but the structure inhibits the app from benefiting from the viral aspects of public sharing.

A recent update that introduced a colorful messaging experience, complete with stickers, is helping the iPhone and Android application attract new users. A controversial new user on-boarding experience, which encourages members to invite all their friends to the app by default, may also be drawing people to the app.

The company, which is adding about 1 million new users a week, could use assistance in holistically appealing to a more mainstream audience. The Sprint deal may help Path distance itself from the perception that it's only recruiting new users by acting as an overly aggressive contact spammer.

Path expects the Sprint partnership to help accelerate growth in the U.S. and abroad, a spokesperson told CNET. The Path app currently ranks as the sixth most popular free application on Apple's App Store.