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UpScrolled surges as TikTok’s U.S. takeover prompts user migration

UpScrolled surges as TikTok’s U.S. takeover prompts user migration
source: gettyimages
January 28, 2026

The new social app UpScrolled has seen a rapid influx of users after news that TikTok’s U.S. operations were brought under new ownership. Available on Android and iOS, the app currently sits at around the 12th spot in Apple’s App Store and is struggling to keep up with the surge in traffic.

“Data centers are feeling the crowd,” UpScrolled announced on Bluesky, noting that its servers were overwhelmed but that engineers are working to restore normal service. App figures show momentum: between Thursday and Saturday, the platform was downloaded about 41,000 times, with an average of roughly 14,000 daily downloads—nearly 29 times higher than its pre-TikTok surge average of 460 per day.

The shift away from TikTok has been echoed by high-profile users, including journalist Taylor Lorenz, who have moved to UpScrolled amid concerns about censorship following Oracle’s takeover of TikTok’s U.S. operations. Some U.S. users also reported app issues in the wake of the transition, which TikTok attributed to a power outage at one of its data centers.

UpScrolled was founded in 2025 by Issam Hijazi, a technologist with roots in Palestine, Jordan, and Australia. The platform aims to enable frank expression while ensuring that every post has a fair chance to be seen. Company materials describe UpScrolled as impartial to political agendas, committed to avoiding shadowbans, and focused on social responsibility. The app blends features reminiscent of Instagram and X, supporting photo, video, and text posts, as well as private messaging.

This isn’t the first time a major platform switch has been sparked by tensions around a dominant network. In the past year, TikTok users gravitated toward alternatives like RedNote, Bluesky, and Mastodon in response to perceived policy shifts or bans.

Update, January 26: Appfigures data corroborates the spike in downloads and engagement.

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